Family friendly Dessert

Jane's persimmon pudding

Name: Jane's persimmon pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 195 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 225g (1 cup) caster sugar, plus extra to coat; 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter; 1/2 cup chopped walnuts; 2 eggs; 150g (1 cup) flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 cup persimmon pulp; 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water; Dash of brandy; 1 teaspoon vanilla essence; 1 cup currants or chopped raisins

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by Maggie Beer

Cook, national treasure and delicious. Produce Awards judge

Oct 03, 2015

If your first experience with persimmon leaves you cringing, persevere. Maggie Beer shows the proof is in the pudding.

225g (1 cup) caster sugar, plus extra to coat
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs
150g (1 cup) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup persimmon pulp
2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
Dash of brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup currants or chopped raisins

Method

1.

Mix sugar, butter, walnuts and eggs. Sift in flour, salt and cinnamon. Add persimmon pulp, soda liquid, brandy, vanilla and currants and mix to combine. Thoroughly oil a 2-litre(8-cup capacity) steam mould and coat with sugar. Fill two thirds with batter. (A 1kg coffee tin with an aluminium foil lid can substitute.) Place covered mould on a rack in a larger pot. Add water to halfway up the mould and cover the larger pot. Steam for 2.5 - 3 hours, longer cooking won't harm it. The pudding will be dark, springy and may pull away from the mould slightly. Turn upside down onto a plate. If it doesn't drop right out, shake and pound mould vigorously, right-side up, then invert it again. Next alternative is to leave pudding inverted on a plate to drop out when it is cool. Last resort is to loosen with a flat knife. If it breaks, it can usually be reassembled.
2.

The pudding may be frozen. To store at room temperature, pour 2 table-spoons of brandy over cooled pudding and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Add brandy occasionally if it is to be stored for a long time. Heat before serving and flambe at table with brandy. Serve with cream or ice-cream.