Secret Persimmon Family Recipe You Will Enjoy

It's not so secret anymore! You're going to LOVE this persimmon bar recipe. I have been making it for my family and friends for several years and it's definitely one of my favorites. I'm always wanting to find a way to eat all the persimmons that I am given. I don't have a persimmon tree myself, but I manage to gather these treasures from others who have buckets and buckets of them this time of year.

I like these bars because they are perfect with a cup of tea on a cold and blustery day. Maybe you make them too and will find these moist and nutritious goodies something you will crave every year.

Persimmon Bars with Lemon Glaze

Bars

3 ripe Fuyu or Hachiya persimmons

1 ½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp baking soda

1 ¾ C All purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

 1 large egg                                                                                         

1 C granulated sugar

½ C Canola oil

½ C. dried apricots chopped

½ c dried plums chopped

1 C chopped walnuts

Glaze

1 C confectioners’ sugar

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13X9 dish knocking out excess flour or use parchment paper in a Pampered chef Bar Pan. Cut off and discard green stem and puree all three persimmons in food a processor until combined. Add lemon juice baking soda and blend well.

Sift together flour, spices and salt in a med size bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together egg, sugar and oil until combined. Add flour mixture alternately to persimmon mixture starting and ending with the flour mixture until combined. Stir in nuts, apricots, and plums. Spread batter onto baking pan and bake until golden and a wooden toothpick comes out clean about 22 minutes.

Stir together all glaze ingredients until smooth and spread over bars while warm.

 Cool on a wire rack and cut crosswise into 8 strips, then lengthwise into fourths, for a total of 32 bars. Bars keep in an airtight container for 3 days.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine Dec 2004

I made them and brought them to a holiday party last night. This was a reunion for my friends who I worked with several years ago at Andronicos Cooking School. I was inspired to post this blog today because my friend Rose asked me for a copy of the recipe. Here you go Rose!