These Japanese persimmon pistachio muffins are a fusion using the national fruit of Japan and the favored pistachio nut in Middle Eastern cooking.
Obviously they are most enhanced by the warm spices of cinnamon and allspice since persimmon has a very mild flavor. My intention in combining the beautiful colors of the orange persimmon and green pistachio is to pay homage to the fallen leaves of autumn.
Persimmon
Like no other fruit, persimmon stands alone yet similar to an apricot, a mango and a sweet pepper, making it a delicious fruit to pair with pistachio for muffins or tea breads.
Its density is almost like cheese, and less like a juicy fruit, yet there is a hidden sweetness to its pulp, one must find a way to reveal.
When perfectly ripe, looking rather rotten on the outside, the persimmon seems to be coming into it moment of stardom. When underripe, yet gorgeous on the outside, the best way to hurry this fruit into scrumptiousness is to cook it!
Japanese Persimmon
While my first encounter with persimmon was many years ago when I studied the Japanese language and culture, before that time, I have never seen or tasted persimmon.
Though language studies often teach us about a cultures cuisine as well, I walked away from those years still knowing little about the national fruit of Japan. It’s never too late to discover new foods. Once I read how the bright orange color of the persimmon would light up the landscape of Japan, when the leaves fell to the ground, I knew I needed to embrace it as well, in my autumn cooking.
Persimmon In Steamed Breads
My first experiment with persimmon was to make a steamed bread, likened to a steamed pudding. Fresh persimmon and lots of dried fruits went into the batter and it took nearly two hours to cook in a water bath, low and slow in the oven.
Once the bread cooled, it was dense, loaded with flavor and texture and something I definitely wanted for the cold days of winter, by a warm fire with tea.
Welcome To Muffin Madness!
In my family, I have always been known as the muffin queen, simply because over the years I have created about 25 different muffin recipes, and still creating!
As a single mom of 4, during those insanely disjointed, hectic years of age 6 to 16, with school, hobbies, work and hormones, I needed a friend!
Muffins became my antidote to madness. My friend. How? I needed a quick, healthy and affordable breakfast, a to-go snack and I needed the kids to be able to help make them.
And so… I will be sharing one of my beloved muffin recipes with YOU each and every Friday for your weekend treats, or a batch to carry you through the busy week ahead! Yep! 52 Fridays!!
Other Muffin Madness Selections You May Like
- Eggnog Muffins
- Salt Caramel Apple Muffins
- Pumpkin Maple Muffins and Tea Bread
- Maple Pecan Weekend Muffins
- Ginger Molasses Spelt Muffins
Persimmon Pistachio Muffins and Tea Bread
Tea bread, for me, is simply a quick bread I bake to enjoy with afternoon tea. I will bake them in both a muffin tin for individual servings, or a mini-loaf pan to slice for two.
That steamed persimmon bread I made years ago was delicious, but took too darn long to prepare, bake and cool.
Muffins were going to be my quick approach to capturing the tart yet sweet taste of the persimmon. Pistachios were going to be ground to a powder to both enhance the texture of the flour, and crushed pistachios would be sprinkled across the tops.
Persimmon fruit takes a little longer to bake than most other fruits. The muffins took longer to bake than other muffins I bake, about 50-minutes. The batter was, however, fast to mix and quick to cool. It was a winner for sure!
How To Make Japanese Persimmon Pistachio Bread
In a food processor, grind some of the pistachios to a flour. Puree the persimmons. Proceed to mix this quick bread, just like most; wet ingredients whisked into dry ingredients.
Transfer to muffins tins or mini loaf pans, sprinkle the tops with sugar and chopped pistachios and bake.
The texture of these baked persimmon muffins or tea bread are more likened to a steamed pudding rather than a cake. Lovely warm with a cup of tea!
Ingredients Needed
- Persimmon
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Sunflower oil
- Pineapple juice
- Soy milk
- Orange zest
- Flour
- Pistachios
- Coarse sugar
- Allspice
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
Equipment Needed
- Food Processor
- Muffin tins or Mini Loaf tins
- Baking paper cups
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Baking tester
- Oven
My Muffin Madness Cookbook
Now that I’ve got you thinking outside the box about muffins, are you ready to try other creative and delicious muffin recipes you won’t find anywhere else?
Hot off the press this year: My Muffin Madness Cookbook!
Japanese Persimmon Pistachio Muffins
Ingredients
- Ripe persimmon – 3
- Eggs – 3
- Sugar – 1 cup
- Sunflower oil – 1/2 cup
- Pineapple juice – 1/2 cup
- Soy milk – 1/2 cup
- Orange zest – 1 tbsp
- Flour – 2 1/2 cups
- Pistachios – 1/4 cup to grind, 2 tbs chopped
- Coarse sugar – 1 tbsp
- Allspice – 1/2 tsp
- Cinnamon – 1 tbsp
- Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
- Baking powder – 2 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Prepare muffin tins with baking paper or loaf pans with non-stick spray and a dusting of flour.
- In a food processor, grind 1/4 cup of pistachios to a powder. Remove and puree the persimmons that have been rough chopped.
- While persimmons are in the processor, add the sugar, eggs, oil, juice, milk, zest and pulse a few times to blend.
- Add the flour, pistachio flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt and puree.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tins. Sprinkle the coarse sugar and chopped pistachios on top.
- Bake until a golden crust forms on the tops, about 55 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
