Baked Persimmon

For the love of Persimmons....

Persimmons are my favorite fruit that no one seems to know about. This fruit that graces us with its presence in late fall is my favorite part of the season. Forget the changing leaves, or first snow fall, who needs pumpkins when there is persimmon. Persimmon is a lovely orange fruit that feels kind of like a tomato when you hold it but its texture is closer to an apple and its flavor is lightly sweet. 

The most common persimmon to find in your local grocer is the Fuyu persimmon which is delicate but distinct in its late fall sweet flavor. The Hachiya persimmon is a little trickier with flavors that can be astringent and have a strong tannin flavor to it, but if fully ripened they are amazing. 

Say hello to Baked Persimmon with whipped ricotta, pistachio's, and honey. This recipe is incredibly simple but might change your life and can be used for dessert or as a first course.  

The ingredients for this dish are: 

4 persimmons (1 persimmon per person) 

1 16 oz container of Ricotta 

1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream 

1/2 cup of roasted pistachio's (unsalted), chopped

2-4 tbsp Honey 

To begin... 

Preheat oven to 375

Trim tops off of persimmons leaving enough to create a cap (see image above) but then place caps back on the persimmon so that it bakes evenly and the top doesn't burn. 

Place persimmons in a glass baking dish and bake for 30 minutes until the persimmons bright and light orange skin has deepened. 

While persimmons are baking begin to whip the heavy whipping cream and once it starts setting add in the ricotta. Whip until it is loose and fluffy.  

Once the persimmons are done remove from the oven and place in fridge to slightly cool, around 15-20 minutes. You do not want to work with a hot persimmon because the whipped ricotta will melt and it will not be so pretty or easy to work with. Once they have cooled down prepare the plate with a large spoon of ricotta and smear around to form the base. Place persimmon in the middle of ricotta, remove cap and add a large dollop of whipped ricotta and replace cap.

Finish by spreading pistachios around base and swirling on honey. 

Serve to someone you love and enjoy!

(And let me know when you become persimmon obsessed too)

Photo credit: Tiernae Salley Photography. A dear friend and an amazing artist! Check her out at www.tiernaesalleydotphotography.com