Persimmon Pudding (Gluten-Free)
Adapted from Food for Thought—Healing Foods to Savor
This fruit-rich dessert featuring colorful persimmons is something like the traditional plum pudding. Very moist and rich-tasting, though relatively low in fat, this version is gluten-free made with ground gluten-free rolled oats. The the more oblong Hachiya persimmons are used in this recipe. Unlike the more round Fuyu variety that are eaten raw like an apple, the Hachiya variety must be very ripe and soft when used or the fruit will pucker your lips. Since fresh persimmons have a relatively short availability around the winter holidays, you can also make this recipe at other times, by substituting pureed mango (about 2 ripe & very soft mangos) for the persimmons … or you can freeze Hachiya puree during the season for use later.
- 2 tbsp. butter, softened
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (ground into flour—about 1 ¼ cup flour)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 large ripe (very soft) Hachiya persimmons (about 2 cups cut up/mashed)
- 2 large egg
- 3/4 cup full-fat milk, preferably organic
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Place butter into an 8-cup covered casserole and microwave until melted. Swish butter around to coat casserole and scrape rest into the bowl of a food processor.
Grind the rolled oats into flour and add the oat flour to the butter in your food processor.
To prepare the persimmons, cut the stem off and remove the fibrous section in the center. Scoop the pulp out (leaving the skin behind), and add the pulp to the butter and oat flour in the food processor bowl.
Then add the salt, soda, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat together, and then stir in the raisins.
Let persimmon batter sit for a minute or two to allow baking soda to bubble up … this prevents a bitter aftertaste from soda. The batter may “gel” a little … no problem.
Turn into the buttered casserole dish, cover tightly and bake on a cookie sheet (to prevent spills) at 350-degrees F. for one hour. Best if served warm.
Makes 8 portions. Each portion provides about 220 calories, 4 g protein, 6 g fat (3g sat), 63 mg cholesterol, 41g carbohydrate (27g sugar, 5g fiber), 60 mg calcium, 30 mg magnesium, 180 mg sodium, 315 mg potassium.