The Love of Persimmon Pudding
Have you ever tasted persimmon pudding?
It is not a pudding at all, but more of a moist cake. In Southern Indiana this dessert is a favorite and a must at any family gathering. Eating persimmon pudding is an event. Pictures are taken of toddlers eating their first piece of persimmon pudding. Everyone thinks their pudding is better than the next person’s pudding. Well, our 94 yr old Grandmother is just as picky about her persimmon pudding as everyone else.
This morning I fixed, for the first time, Grandma’s persimmon pudding. With strict instructions, Grandma tells me the recipe has to be followed to the “T.” Okay. With Grandma sitting at the table, I gather all the ingredients. I pour the persimmon pulp into the mixing bowl. Did you spray the pan? Yes Grandma, that is done. Make sure you use a spatula to get all the pulp out of the container. Get every drop of persimmon. Okay, Grandma (Have you noticed older folks do not waste a dime size of anything?). Next is the soda… don’t forget to mix the batter every time you add an ingredient. Okay, Grandma, I’m mixing. Use the bowl the pulp was in to beat your egg. Use a fork to beat your egg. You will get fluffier eggs if you use a fork. Okay Grandma, I’m using a fork. I can still hear her voice!
We continue through the recipe getting instructions all along the way. The persimmon pudding was baked and turned out to pass Grandma’s inspection. We both enjoyed our time together in the kitchen. This is one of the many days I will treasure the memories of cooking with Grandma.
Persimmon pudding has a taste and texture all of its own. Over the years I have watched people marry into the family who don’t have the same love of persimmon pudding as those who grew up on persimmon pudding.
Grandma’s recipe was a dear friend’s recipe, Treva. Treva won a prize at the Martin County Fair sometime during the 1970s with this recipe. Treva died in 1980 from breast cancer. Grandma has lovingly made this persimmon pudding every time we visited the family farm. Now that her eye sight is to the point she can no longer cook, I will carry on her tradition. Even though I do not like persimmon pudding.
Treva’s Prize Winning Persimmon Pudding
Spray pan with cooking spray
1 cup of persimmon pulp
1/4 tsp soda
Mix well
1 egg beaten with a fork
Mix well
1 cup sugar
Mix well
1 cup of flour mixed with 1 tsp of baking powder - Mix together
1 1/4 cup cold milk
Alternate a little flour with a little milk until all flour and milk is gone. Don’t dump them in together you will get lumps.
1/4 cut melted butter
Mix well.
Pour into 9×9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until edges pull away from the pan and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
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About the Author:
Betty Lynch is the owner of My Country Kitchen and author of “Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen.” You may visit her website at www.mycountrykitchen.com
Tags: cakes, persimmon pudding