60 Min
NF
Persimmon Trifle
We recently celebrated my youngest son Noah's 21st birthday. A picky eater his entire life, he had already requested exactly what he wanted me to cook for dinner — but regarding dessert, he did not say much.
Claiming not to have a sweet tooth, over the years I’ve seen him shy away from dessert after dessert, both at the restaurant and at home. However, I had also witnessed him devouring more mainstream sweets. I knew I had to keep it simple to win him over, since he does not like strong complex flavors. I settled on a simple trifle, one of my childhood favorite desserts.
If my mother entertained in the summer, meals always ended with trifles — sometimes decadent layered concoctions with sponge cake soaked in syrups, homemade custard, fresh fruits and fresh cream; other times hastily thrown together trifles using what she could muster from her refrigerator and fruit vendors. Mango puree was an essential ingredient, and seeing the plethora of persimmons around us in Houston right now, I decided to use them instead.
The common astringent persimmon varieties, such as Hachiya or Jiro, can be ripened to a point where the inside pulp becomes soft and can be squeezed out of the fruit. The pulp is a gorgeous, almost neon orange, lightly fragrant, incredibly sweet, creamy and flavorful. Keep in mind that the Fuyu variety is better for slicing than for using as pulp.
We recently celebrated my youngest son Noah's 21st birthday. A picky eater his entire life, he had already requested exactly what he wanted me to cook for dinner — but regarding dessert, he did not say much.
Claiming not to have a sweet tooth, over the years I’ve seen him shy away from dessert after dessert, both at the restaurant and at home. However, I had also witnessed him devouring more mainstream sweets. I knew I had to keep it simple to win him over, since he does not like strong complex flavors. I settled on a simple trifle, one of my childhood favorite desserts.
If my mother entertained in the summer, meals always ended with trifles — sometimes decadent layered concoctions with sponge cake soaked in syrups, homemade custard, fresh fruits and fresh cream; other times hastily thrown together trifles using what she could muster from her refrigerator and fruit vendors. Mango puree was an essential ingredient, and seeing the plethora of persimmons around us in Houston right now, I decided to use them instead.
The common astringent persimmon varieties, such as Hachiya or Jiro, can be ripened to a point where the inside pulp becomes soft and can be squeezed out of the fruit. The pulp is a gorgeous, almost neon orange, lightly fragrant, incredibly sweet, creamy and flavorful. Keep in mind that the Fuyu variety is better for slicing than for using as pulp.
60 Minutes
4
Notes & Variations
- To ripen persimmons, leave them out in a warm place or put them in a brown paper bag and leave them on a kitchen counter. The puree can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- The trifle will keep for up to 3 or 4 days, just add the pomegranate garnish at the end.
- Persimmons are available at most Asian grocers and at Urban Harvest Farmers market at the Lightsey Farm table stand.
Notes & Variations
- To ripen persimmons, leave them out in a warm place or put them in a brown paper bag and leave them on a kitchen counter. The puree can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- The trifle will keep for up to 3 or 4 days, just add the pomegranate garnish at the end.
- Persimmons are available at most Asian grocers and at Urban Harvest Farmers market at the Lightsey Farm table stand.
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A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.
A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.
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Stock Your Pantry
Persimmons!
The two most common varieties of persimmon are Hachiya and Fuyu. Hachiya, when ripe, has the most delicious, sweet flesh, which can be eaten straight up or in puddings or custards. Fuyu is the firm variety that is delicious in salads.
FAVORITE FRUIT
