By Karen England, for Let's Talk Plants! January 2022.
Karen's previous persimmon recipes can be read here;
PERSIMMON MUFFINS -
Makes 9 - 12 muffins.
I like these muffins boozy and spicy but you may not, so I am giving you the original recipe here. However, for the record - I make them sometimes with brandy as the original recipe called for, but sometimes with homemade apple brandy or with various types of sherry, as well as, with raisins (as originally called for), but sometimes with currants or with dried cranberries. I like them all and mix and match the booze and fruit to suit my whim and you can do the same. Have fun! (I like to eat these slathered thickly with cream cheese or mascarpone and, trust me, you might want to do the same.)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup brandy
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable or nut oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup persimmon puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon EACH ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and fine sea salt
optional, cream cheese or mascarpone for serving
Instructions:
Soak the raisins in brandy overnight.
Mix together the eggs, milk, oil, sugar, persimmon and undrained raisins in a medium bowl.
In another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and stir into the persimmon mixture to make a batter.
Using an ice cream scoop fill the paper lined cups of a muffin tin level with the top and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree F. oven for 20 - 30 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are springy to the touch. Cool 5 minutes before turning muffins out of the muffin tin to cool completely on a wire rack.
I have an Amish Cake Tester Broom, a treasured gift from my friend Karon, hanging in my kitchen. To test a cake (or muffin in this case) for doneness, you break off a straw from the broom and poke it into the cake and if the straw comes out clean of any wet batter you know the cake is done.
