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Persimmons are seriously good. I bake with every other fruit, it was time to bake with these juicy and sweet persimmon. The batter was a gorgeous orange color.
I heard when I was a baby and we first visited Sicily, my aunts would fight over who could hold me. They knitted me beautiful little dresses. I still have some of the dresses thanks to my mom. When I was a little girl, I would write some of my cousins letters. The thrill of opening the mailbox to find a return message from them was indescribable! I saved every letter. Now I go to Facebook and send them a quick note. Technology has united us once again through this vast distance. Sweet memories that this fruit had me thinking of again.
My father’s hometown on the Southern coast of Sicily has incredible beaches.
I love how when you are walking down the street you can see a farmer and his horse coming back from the farm!
I read that the more sugar will produce a moister and, of course, sweeter bread.
1/2 cup persimmon pulp
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Crumb Topping-Mom’s Recipe
1 cup flour
1 stick unsalted cold butter, cut into tablespoons
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Whisk together the flour and brown sugar. With your hands, or a pastry blender, combine the butter into the flour mixture until large clumps form. Refrain from eating the entire crumb topping.
Bread Directions
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9×4×3-inch loaf pan and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together persimmon pulp and baking soda. This will thicken the pulp a bit.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, spices, and fresh ginger. Once well incorporated, whisk in the persimmon mixture. Pour the wet ingredients, all at once, into the dry ingredients. Fold to incorporate. Once no flour remains, pour into the loaf pan and place in the oven.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 325, and bake for about another 25-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before serving. Loaf lasts well wrapped at room temperature for up to five days.
Bread recipe-Joy the Baker with slight adaptions by me.
Crumb recipe-my mom
As always, thank you for stopping by for a visit!! I hope you are having a wonderful week. Today I lost my voice! My kids are thrilled!
Laugh with me and my other fabulous food friends on twitter! That is where my husband says I spend WAY too much time. What does he know?
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Jeannie says
January 6, 2011 at 5:38 amIt's fun to dig out old photos and laugh over it… my boys been doing that lately and had a good laugh over their baby pics:D I love persimmon and this bread looks delicious!
notyet100 says
January 6, 2011 at 7:17 ammmmm perfect looking bread
Cristina says
January 6, 2011 at 8:28 amHi Lora: Hope you get your voice back soon and adorable pictures of days past. 🙂 Fantastic looking bread with all that ginger included in it. Perfect for any time of the day!
Blog is the New Black says
January 6, 2011 at 10:37 amTHis sounds FABULOUS! For the longest time I've wanted to try cooking with persimmons (never had one!) and perhaps this will be the recipe I use! New follower, looking forward to more.
Carolyn says
January 6, 2011 at 11:46 amI still have yet to try a persimmon. I saw some at my local grocery store in the fall and I am kicking myself now that I didn't buy them. Your bread looks amazing! And you are goof, I can tell 😉
A Thought For Food says
January 6, 2011 at 11:49 amLora, I LOVE THIS POST!!!! Such a wonderful story and the pictures are just adorable!
Also, that crumb topping is perfection!
Lael Hazan @educatedpalate says
January 6, 2011 at 12:11 pmAdorable tube socks. I'm very impressed, I could never get mine to stay up! I love the idea of cacchi bread; however, the virtually overripe, juicy persimmons always get gobbled up as soon as they enter the house. I'm tasting your beautiful photo as a substitute. 🙂
LaPhemmePhoodie says
January 6, 2011 at 12:47 pmI have several pictures where I am rocking an outfit just like the one you have on in that pic. It's fun to look at old pics. The bread looks incredible.
Kori says
January 6, 2011 at 1:36 pmHow fun to bake with persimmon! That is something I've never tried… In fact, I've never eaten one as far as I know, so now I'm anxious to try them. Thanks for sharing and inspiring me 🙂
Anonymous says
January 6, 2011 at 1:40 pmI love seeing old photos! Your bread looks simply delicious!
Pretend Chef says
January 6, 2011 at 1:50 pmMy mother's side is from Sicily and I wish growing up or even now I had an opportunity to go. I know I said this yesterday but I absolutely love hearing your stories because it feels like it could have been my childhood or funny things I would do. Ahhhh. The bread looks so delicious. I still have never tried a persimmon and since starting a blog I have realized just how many things I still have yet to try. Have a great day Lora!
Ms. WhitePlates says
January 6, 2011 at 1:57 pmA few months ago we were in the car and my hubby was very carefully parking our car between a Lexus, Cadillac and some other car that he could not hit. So of course when he wasn't looking I balled up my fist and hit my door as hard as I could, I nearly died laughing. It really does sound exactly like you've hit another car.
Your bread looks delicious. I haven't baked with persimmon yet because my daughter loves it so much I haven't the chance. I'll have to squirrel some away and surprise her with this bread!
briarrose says
January 6, 2011 at 2:05 pmMan that looks good. Awesome job.
Wilde in the Kitchen says
January 6, 2011 at 2:08 pmYou're too funny, I would have gotten a kick out of your window notes. My boyfriend always used to leave me notes on my car, before we were dating. I've never tried a persimmon, but they seem all the rage right now. I might have to join the persimmon party!
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
January 6, 2011 at 2:24 pmOoooh look at you rockin' those tube socks! 😀 Haha. You are just too cute, looovee you! Seriously you are the funniest person ever and I love how you leave notes. hahaha.
The bread is just gorgeous, honestly, it looks incredible. I LOVE persimmons but have never baked with them. I can't seem to find a recipe that I truly find interesting but now i have thanks to you. I LOVE white chocolate too so this is totaly my thing. (I'm obviously really good with words!) Mmmm. Now maybe I should put on some tubes sock, whip up some bread and make a video? Woohoo!
Paula - bell'alimento says
January 6, 2011 at 2:28 pmMa che bella ; ) Anche la ricetta ; ) Buona befana cara!
Anonymous says
January 6, 2011 at 2:51 pmI'm not a morning person, but i'd happily wake up for this everyday! And don't ever lose your inner spirit:)
p.s. whereas your pregnant picture was cute in that you were "glowing", this one is more cute in an adorable sort of way!
Amy Bakes Everything says
January 6, 2011 at 3:27 pmYummy, persimmons are so good…they're out of season here and hard to find. Bread photos are gorgeous!
Kate @ Diethood.com says
January 6, 2011 at 4:43 pmYour bread looks soooo good! I need to get my hands on some persimmon…I can't find any around here.
Roxan says
January 6, 2011 at 5:12 pmLora, those pictures are awesome! I love the high waisted yellow shorts, just as much as I love the knee high white socks. So nice of you to share these with us.
Evan @swEEts says
January 6, 2011 at 5:57 pmThis bread sounds like the perfect little snack for a good morning 🙂 I've still never tried persimmons.. it isn't fair.. I need to get on this immediately!
Dionne Baldwin says
January 6, 2011 at 7:27 pmHeehee Twitter can be addicting. I've been on it more lately…but it helps me keep in touch!
I've never had a persimmon before but I should probably start. This bread looks and sounds delicious!
Dionne
Trish says
January 6, 2011 at 9:36 pmOh my goodness..love these photos!! You still look the same..I could identify you immediately. So cute. I loved visiting Taormina, Sicily and the Silician islands when I went in '03. The people were so friendly and the food was yummy. You're lucky to be from such a lovely place. Your cake cake sounds delicious and unique…great flavors.
Rachel says
January 6, 2011 at 11:57 pmAh food memories. It's amazing how deeply taste is connected to our past.
I love your family pictures and the bread is gorgeous! Persimmons are so wonderful but so expensive and hard to find – it's really too bad.
Laurie Alves says
January 7, 2011 at 12:00 amBeautiful story! I love those thoughts. It's what inspires me in the kitchen, most often. Thank you so much for sharing it. Being of Mediterranean heritage, I have pictures that are very similar to those. It really tugs at me. Thanks again
Lizzy says
January 7, 2011 at 12:53 amWe can buy persimmon pulp around here in the fall…and persimmon pudding is very popular for Thanksgiving. I really need to bite the bullet and bake something wonderful like your bread! I love your mom's addition 🙂
SMITH BITES says
January 7, 2011 at 1:52 ami really, really want to make this bread Lora – i have persimmons in my fridge but not sure if they're past the point of no return, we'll see. LOVE the tube socks girl – 'you're hot!' LOL xo
Tiffany says
January 7, 2011 at 2:03 amWhat awesome pictures of Sicily! … And I love white chocolate too!
Sandra says
January 7, 2011 at 3:56 amAnything with white chocolate immediately grabs my attention and that topping…Oh My!
sara @ CaffeIna says
January 7, 2011 at 5:58 amPersimmon and white chocolate is a combo I've never tried. Sounds interesting. Those pics….oh those pics…you know, they remind a lot to me …I'm getting nostalgic…i need to go eat something sweet
Anonymous says
January 7, 2011 at 3:56 pmThis bread looks amazing! I'm ashamed to admit that I've never baked with persimmons before. Thanks for sharing your family photos too! Spending summers in Sicily sounds like hard work, but someone's got to do it right? 🙂
Grace says
January 7, 2011 at 4:06 pmYou brought me right back to 1979 and trip to my family hometown in Chieti. I love persimmons, they are rare to find here. When I do find them I buy for my entire family, mom, brothers and sisters. I've never thought to bake with them. Hopefully I can find some at the local market and try out this recipe. Thank you for sharing Lora. I love reading your family stories.
Jamie says
January 8, 2011 at 3:07 pmYeah, sometimes hubby and I – or girlfriends and I – wonder if being this pazza is normal? My sons think we are nuts but normal, mature or not life is loads more fun this way, don't you think? My favorite thing is when we do or say something and the boys actually laugh even though they try and pretend they don't think we are funny! The bread is perfect! Perfect texture and gorgeous flavors! I've never ever baked a persimmon…
Liana @ femme fraiche says
January 8, 2011 at 8:44 pmAlthough your bread looks delicious what I loved most about this post was the story! Ahh how jealous I am of your trips to Sicily! I went this summer and thought it was beautiful. And by the way, I think you're style is kinda cool and could TOTALLY fly nowadays;) I actually have shorts that same colour!!
The Mom Chef says
January 10, 2011 at 3:10 amI love seeing those pictures of Sicily. I also love your pranks. I've never thought of leaving notes on cars, but it would be fun to see reactions (I hope).
This bread looks so, so good. Thank you for using white chocolate, one of my favorites.
Sue says
January 12, 2011 at 4:03 pmWhat beautiful bread! I've never made anything with persimmons, but this is a good recipe to start with! Love your tube socks and shorts:) CUTE!
Isabella says
December 13, 2012 at 7:18 pmYummy bread made it yesterday and the family devoured it before I even got a bite!! Plan on making it for Christmas too… 🙂
Isabella says
December 13, 2012 at 7:20 pmYummy bread made it yesterday and the family devoured it before I even got a bite!! Plan on making it for Christmas too… 🙂