A Perfect Fall Cookie

We have a persimmon tree near us, and I love persimmon pudding! It reminds me of Grandma. I wanted to branch out this year beyond the pudding (a moist cake), and so I tried a persimmon cookie recipe. I am a fan! These cookies are deliciously sweet and spicy, and pair perfectly with a cup of strong black tea.

In the Midwest, we have American persimmons. The American persimmon is very soft-sided and thin-skinned, not at all like the firm Asian ones you see at a grocery store. You'll seldom see an American persimmon at the grocer's because they're no good unless very ripe and that makes it hard to transport them. You may find persimmon pulp at farmer's markets. The best way, however, is to walk around in the woods and find a tree. You won't have much competition for the fruit (except from the critters) because not many two-leggeds know how to use persimmons any more. It's definitely an old-timey food. The genus name of this tree is Diospyros and it means "fruit of the gods." Persimmons were important to the fall diet for Native Americans and early settlers.

I used this recipe for the cookies, with a few modifications. I left out the raisins and nuts (on purpose) and inadvertently left out the egg. I detected no negative impact without the egg, so the recipe could easily be converted to vegan. I added a dash of ginger powder. I also replaced the sugar with honey, and used about half the amount listed. Of course, I used whole wheat. The recipe is a keeper. I must have made large cookies, because I got 24 out of one batch (compared to their 90!)