Baked Fuyu Persimmons

The fuyu persimmon tree is absolutely overloaded with beautiful ripe fruit.

What to do with all these persimmons...  Since they have the texture of an apple, I thought I would use some easy recipes that I use with apples.  And, I wanted them to be gluten free, so I could have one.

I decided to try a couple of different baking techniques to see which method produced the best results.  I wanted to bake the persimmons in the shell, so to speak, so, I started by cutting off the stem end.

 The first persimmon, I tried to scoop out the pulp with a grapefruit knife.  It did not work.  So, I used a melon baller to scoop out the fruit.

 The other persimmon, I just cored like I would for a baked apple.

 Here are the two options.

 I used the same ingredients for both - brown sugar

 and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

 I chopped up the fruit that I had scooped out

 added some brown sugar and cinnamon

 and placed it all back in the shell.

I added a little butter

 to both options

 and baked at 350 degrees until they were "done".

 The one with the chopped fruit was nicely browned on the top

 and the "cored" option had a lovely center of buttery goodness.

 I tested both with a fork for tenderness after 30 minutes and found they both needed more time in the oven.

After another 20 minutes, the top caramelized very nicely.

 The "cored" option was delicious, but, a little on the firm side for me.

 Due to the firmness, I used the grapefruit knife to carefully loosen the baked fruit and "section" the pieces for easier eating.  Kim said he liked the buttery center which coated each bite.

The chopped option was a little softer, but, I really liked the flavor of the caramelized top better than the fruit underneath.  So, I scooped it all out of the shell into the ramekin  and baked it another 15 minutes.

The persimmon took on this delicious nutty quality.  I put the fruit back into the shell to serve.

 It tasted really yummy, but, I felt it was missing something.

 You know how apple pie is elevated by a little whipped cream or ice cream?  Well, I decided to hand whip just a little cream.

 What a difference a little cream made!  DELICIOUS!

 Thanks for joining me on my baking journey in our kitchen at the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast.  If you come visit us soon, I'd be happy to bake one for you!  Or, you can pick a few to take home with you.