I'm cookin' now...

Today I flirted with the cult of domesticity. After filling a huge bag of dented and squishy organic persimmons (50 cents/lb, my friends) at the Farmer's Market, I brought them home and commenced to figuring out some persimmon recipes. I know I could probably just chunk and freeze them for shakes (yum), but I thought I'd scout around for a few good recipes instead. What I ended up making: Persimmon scone cookies and Persimmon Freezer Jam. Both turned out so outstandingly that I have to share my recipes with you...

Persimmon Scone Cookies
* 1.5 cup pureed ripe persimmons (about 1/4 lb)
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 egg
* 1 cup white flour
* 1 cup wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup chopped pecans (note: taste just fine w/o nuts or with walnuts, too)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease or line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
3. Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in egg and persimmon puree. Add flour mixture and mix until combined, stir in the chopped nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

Baking notes: Pureeing your persimmons is a breeze with one of these! You'll have soupy sweet orange goo in about 5 seconds flat.

These are very cakelike cookies. I couldn't decide if they were more like cookies, scones or flat muffins. If you try making them, let me know what you think!

Oh, and if your walnuts are the ones on the shell that you bought at the Farmer's Market a few weeks ago and then realized that you couldn't open because you have no nutcracker, have your kids open them with a hammer. And make your youngest wear your glasses from junior high to protect her eyes from flying walnut shell shards. And try not to giggle when you realize that she looks an awful lot like Sally Jessy Raphael in those hideous glasses.

Persimmon Freezer Jam
* 2.5 cups pureed persimmons
* 1.5 cups sugar
* 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest
* 1 pinch ground nutmeg

In saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Boil for 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir constantly.

Cooking Notes: Do make sure that you keep up with the stirring part--when I left the pot unattended for about 30 seconds to wash some dishes, mine started burning on the bottom. Older kids make good stirrers--esp if you tell them that they can lick the jam pot after they're done.

This jam tastes a lot like marmalade. It's sweet, but the lemony bits cut the sweetness just enough to make the flavor a bit complex and interesting. You'll love it. Seriously.