When I was a little girl….oh, so long ago….my parents and I would take a journey each and every Thanksgiving. It went something like this….
Wake up in the morning. Get in the car and drive 2-3 hours from San Diego to Alhambra or Palm Desert. Eat. Get the car and drive 1-2 hours from Alhambra or Palm Desert to Granada Hills. Eat. Get in the car and drive 3 hours back home to San Diego. Go to sleep. Exhausted.
I have fond memories of those Thanksgivings…spending time with Family…playing horseshoes in the desert with my Great Uncle John Gilbert…horsing around with my cousins…and of course eating. I LOVE Thanksgiving food! Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes,and pumpkin pie. They’re all delicious. But you know what My favorite part of the meal was as a child? You’ve probably guessed it. Aunt Sena’s Persimmon Pudding. With homemade whipped cream on top.
This holiday season I decided to try and make a gluten free version of the persimmon pudding. It doesn’t disappoint!
Here is the original recipe, with gluten free substitutions/additions in orange.
Great Aunt Sena’s Persimmon Pudding
- 1 cup persimmon pulp (About 3-4 persimmons. I used Hachiya persimmons. Remove skins, slice and puree in blender.)
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup flour OR 1/2 cup sorghum flour + 1/2 cup tapioca starch + 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Optional: Fresh whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream beaten with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar)
Instructions: (Yields approximately 6 servings) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend persimmon pulp with milk, eggs, and melted butter. In a mixing bowl, combine flour(s), xanthan gum (if making gluten free version), sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour in to a greased pan (a 9 x 9 baking pan works well), set baking pan in to a pan of water and bake until done-Approximately 1 hour. Note: The original version should set like a bread pudding or a very moist cake, and you can cut it in to squares for serving. I ended up baking my gluten free version for 1 1/2 hours and it never got really firm. This didn’t matter, as we scooped it in to bowls and it tasted great. Top with whipped cram if desired. My family and I definitely desired! Enjoy!
