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It’s autumn in California.  Unlike where I grew up in upstate NY, there’s not a lot of apple picking. But, there is one gem I pick as much as I can: persimmons.

I honestly had never seen a persimmon until I moved to California. And I certainly didn’t know there are two kinds available here: Hachiya and Fuyu. Both arrived on the shores of California when Asians, mainly Chinese, began settling here in the 1800s. Fuyu persimmons are squat and round. This type of persimmon stays fresh for up to three weeks when stored at room temperature. Hachiya persimmons are soft to the touch when ripe and tend to be elongated. This astringent variety only stays fresh for a few days.

Most people prefer to cook with Hachiya, but there is no reason not to use Fuyu! To prove that, I had a bunch on hand and decided to make a family favorite with them: sticky toffee pudding. This dessert is not what Americans consider pudding, but a cake that has its origins in the UK. This dense cake is crowned with a warm toffee/caramel sauce. It’s divine. And perfect for the cooler weather of Autumn. (And a great substitute for a Thanksgiving pie!)

Typically made with dates, I changed the recipe to use with persimmons. And the result has become a tradition in our family as soon as we can get our hands on some persimmons.

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Persimmon Sticky Toffee Pudding

A delish dessert perfect for fall

Course: Dessert

Keyword: autumn, fall, persimmons, salted caramel sauce, sticky toffee pudding

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

The cake

• 3-5 persimmons (to make about 1 cup of pulp)
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use vanilla paste instead)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 tsp sea salt

Salted Caramel/Toffee Sauce

• 6 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I use vanilla paste)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 6 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

Make the cake

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Peel the Fuyu persimmons. Chop the fruit up and add to medium-sized bowl. (If using Hachiya, carefully remove the top and squeeze the pulp into the bowl.
• Puree the pulp. (I use a stick blender for this. If you don't have one, a blender can do!)
• Stir in the baking soda, sugars, butter, egg, and vanilla.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix only until combined.
• Pour the batter into an 8" cake pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes.

Make the salted caramel/toffee sauce

• Melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Add the brown sugar and the salt to the pan. Whisk until melted and blended.
• Add the heavy cream and whisk.
• Warm until near bubbling.

To serve

• Cut slices of cake when warm and place on plate. Top with sauce.