Try an unusual fruit in a traditional recipe and see what you think! These persimmon cookies are a favorite here.
Cream together sugar, butter, and oil.
Stir in persimmon pulp, baking soda, and eggs. Add flour and spices.
Once those are combined, stir in your favorite add-ins.
Place by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350ºF. Cool on wire racks.
The resulting cookie is very cake-like and---my family concurs---tasty. Now, what if you don't have persimmons? Pumpkin puree is a very comparable substitute. (Here's how to make your own.)
**To make persimmon pulp: Slice the stem from the top of each persimmon and use a spoon to scoop pulp into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. Pulse until the persimmon flesh is a fairly smooth consistency. I opted to do this with the seeds intact, then I picked the seeds out of the pulp. I found this easier to do than removing seeds before processing. Don’t have a processor? No worries. Just use a bowl and a potato masher.