Hoosier Persimmon Pudding

Indiana's state dessert in all but name, Hoosier Persimmon Pudding is made from the wild American persimmon — a fruit smaller and more intensely flavored than its Asian counterpart. Each autumn, families across southern Indiana gather fallen persimmons after the first frost and run them through a food mill to produce the brick-colored pulp that gives this dense, fudgy baked pudding its signature flavor, somewhere between pumpkin pie and gingerbread.

Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 480ml (2 cups) ripe American persimmon pulp (from about 1.4kg / 3 lbs whole persimmons, strained through a food mill or fine sieve)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 480ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 115g (½ cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 180g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter a 23x23cm (9x9-inch) baking pan generously.
2. If using whole persimmons, rinse them well, halve them, and press through a food mill or fine-mesh sieve to remove skin and seeds. You need exactly 480ml (2 cups) of smooth pulp.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together persimmon pulp, eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and sugar until smooth.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt directly into the wet mixture. Whisk until the batter is smooth and slightly thick — it will be quite pourable.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake 55-65 minutes until the center is just set with only a slight jiggle and the edges are pulling away from the pan. A toothpick will come out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
6. Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting. Serve warm in squares topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cook's Notes: Persimmon pulp freezes beautifully in 480ml (2-cup) portions — stock up in autumn for winter baking. If you can only find Fuyu or Hachiya persimmons at market, let Hachiyas ripen until completely soft (almost liquid) before pureeing; Fuyus will not produce the same flavor depth. The pudding actually improves on day two.