More Fall Baking

A couple of weeks ago, I got a bunch of persimmons from my friend. Her aunts grow them out in California and they had both shipped her some so she had some extra persimmons that she so generously gave to me. Of course, the first thing that came to my mind was how to bake with them. I've heard that persimmons are just like any other fruit when it comes to baking. You can make delicious breads and muffins with them. Their flavor is mild but pairs very well with the same spices you would use with pumpkins - cinnamon, nutmeg, gloves, ginger. One thing when baking with persimmons is that the fruit needs to be overripe, mushy even, to get the sweetest, most pleasing taste in your baking.

So, I baked a batch of persimmon cupcakes. I had some leftover maple buttercream from my son's birthday party that I thought would be the perfect topping to this fall treat. And it was. The result was a pleasant, fall-inspired dessert with tropical undertones. If you love persimmons, you will enjoy this cupcake. It's the perfect way to get your kids to try new fruit. These cupcakes needn't be covered in frosting - they are just perfect by themselves with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Persimmon Muffins

1 3/4 cups All Purpose flour
1 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 T canola oil
8 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c granulated white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup persimmon pulp (about 3 persimmons)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mango juice

Preheat your oven to 350F. Whisk all your dry ingredients together (flour, spices, salt, baking soda). In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and oil for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the persimmon pulp, buttermilk and mango juice. Slowly add your dry ingredients and mix only until combined. Place liners in a cupcake pan and fill them with the batter 2/3 of the way up the liners.
Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack and then enjoy!