Persimmon Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup almonds toasted chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
• 0.3 cup butter softened
• 3 large eggs 
• 9 ounces flour all-purpose
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 0.3 cup blackstrap molasses 
• 1.5 cups hachiya persimmon puree ripe
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup water boiling

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• wire rack
• blender
• baking pan
• measuring cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Place brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes).
3. Add persimmon puree, molasses, and eggs; beat well (about 1 minute).
4. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour and next 6 ingredients (through cloves).
5. Add flour mixture and 1/3 cup boiling water alternately to persimmon mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in almonds.
6. Pour batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
7. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.
8. Cut into 12 squares.
9. To speed the ripening process, freeze the fruit overnight or until solid. Thaw the persimmon; when soft, it will be sweeter and less astringent.
10. Cut the ripe fruit in half. Scoop the pulp out with a spoon.
11. To achieve an even consistency, place the flesh in a mini-chopper and process until smooth. This ensures the persimmon puree will incorporate evenly into the batter.