Persimmon Muffins

This recipe perfectly demonstrates why I love Front Porch Pickings (or any service that gets you local, seasonal and preferably organic produce).  I had not tried persimmons before, but thanks to FPP, I got them in my basket.  Now, not knowing how they would taste, I thought a good way to introduce the flavors would be in this muffin recipe.  I waited until the persimmons seemed on the verge of going bad.  I couldn't 'scoop' them so I peeled them.  They were soft, but I guess not quite as soft as they could get.  I tasted a bit of one and was delighted by the flavor and sweetness.  The muffins were pretty easy to make too.  I used 3 persimmons.  The end result was a really moist muffin (Betty White fans giggle with me;) that had a distinct fruity flavor.  The ginger and cinnamon were very nice too.  I used 1 stick of butter (8TBS) and 2 tbs of oil.  I also liked that I got an egg white out of the freezer.  The recipe made 12 muffins and a 12 mini muffins.  My whole family loved them but my husband adored them. 

Persimmon Muffins

2    to 3 very ripe persimmons*         
1 1/2 c  all-purpose flour
2/3 c  whole-wheat flour
1 c  granulated sugar
1 1/2 t  baking powder
3/4 t  baking soda
3/4 t  salt
3/4 t  ground ginger
3/4 t  ground cinnamon
1 t  finely grated lemon zest
2    large eggs plus 1 egg white
10 T  unsalted butter,melted, or vegetable oil
2/3 c  plain yogurt or sour cream
Turbinado sugar,for topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan or two
24-cup mini-muffin pans with paper liners. Cut the persimmons in half
and scoop out the pulp into a food processor; pulse until smooth.
Combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar,
baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and lemon zest in a
large bowl. Whisk 1 1/4 cups of the persimmon puree (or the applesauce
and carrot baby food), the eggs, egg white, melted butter and yogurt in
a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir
until just combined (it's fine if the batter is lumpy).
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of
the way. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes for regular muffins or 14 to 18 minutes for mini muffins. Cool slightly in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a  rack.

* 1 cup -smooth applesauce plus 1/4 cup carrot baby food can be subtituted

We had a tea party with my
daughter with the muffins:)