04 February 2016

Steamed Persimmon Pudding - with Brandy Butter Hard Sauce

Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Brandy Butter Hard Sauce / www.delightfulrepast.com

Even when persimmon season (October through February) is over, it's persimmon season at my house. I usually manage to puree and freeze enough for a few steamed puddings and batches of cookies. 

The pudding can be steamed on the stovetop, directions included, but I like steaming it in the slow cooker. I especially like this pudding with Custard Sauce (Creme Anglaise), but Brandy Butter (also called Hard Sauce) is classic as well and makes a nice change.

Both pudding and sauce can be made ahead. Just reheat the pudding before serving it topped with the cold sauce. Then stand back and watch the rich sauce melt into the pudding and spill over the edges. Mmm ... 

The sauce recipe makes just enough for six servings so you won't be tempted to overindulge. I'd almost forgotten, the other perk of steaming a spicy pudding is the wonderful aromas wafting around the kitchen, the best way to cozy up the place on a winter's day! 

What's in your slow cooker, stovetop steamer or oven? 


Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Brandy Butter Hard Sauce / www.delightfulrepast.com

Steamed Persimmon Pudding - with Brandy Butter Hard Sauce


(Makes 6 servings) 

The Pudding

1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons brandy, rum or hot tea
1 dip-and-sweep cup (5 ounces/142 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup persimmon puree (perfectly ripe persimmons!)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 

The Sauce

6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter, softened but still firm
3/4 packed cup (3 ounces/85 grams) unsifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brandy

1 In small bowl, soak raisins (I also threw in some dried cranberries) in brandy or hot tea for 30 minutes to plump them. 

2 Butter well and lightly flour (or spray with cooking spray) a 2-inch deep 7-inch round cake tin. In small bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. 

3 In medium bowl with a wooden spoon, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, then persimmon puree, followed by the vanilla and milk. Stir in the flour mixture followed by the nuts and raisins. Turn into buttered tin and cover tightly with foil. 

4 Place rack in bottom of cooker, and add boiling water to just below the rack (that's about 2 1/2 cups in the Cuisinart MSC-600 Multicooker). Set the pudding on the rack. Put the lid on the slow cooker. Set to Slow Cook on High for 2 1/2 hours; do not lift lid. 

Note: Your slow cooker might cook slower or faster, so you might want to check the pudding for doneness after 2 hours the first time you make this. Don't remove the foil, just make a little hole in the center of the foil with toothpick or skewer. 

Stovetop: Place a rack in bottom of pot large enough to hold the pudding tin. Pour enough boiling water into pot to almost touch bottom of rack. Place pudding mold on rack. Bring to boil over high heat, cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Steam pudding, adding more boiling water as needed, until pudding is browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours. 

5 Remove the pudding to wire rack, remove foil and let pudding stand 15 minutes before unmolding onto a small platter. Slice and serve warm with whipped cream, brandy butter hard sauce or, my favorite, Custard Sauce.


Steamed Persimmon Pudding with Brandy Butter Hard Sauce / www.delightfulrepast.com


Note: If making it ahead, even a day or two before, cover and store pudding at room temperature and then reheat before serving. 

6 While pudding is steaming, make Brandy Butter Hard Sauce or Custard Sauce. If you prefer your Custard Sauce cold, make it several hours or up to 2 or 3 days ahead. Hard Sauce can be made way ahead; it needs to be refrigerated at least 2 hours or up to 3 weeks.

7 To make Brandy Butter, also known as Hard Sauce: With an electric hand mixer, beat softened* butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until thoroughly creamed. Stir in the brandy a little at a time, incorporating each addition well before adding more. Spoon into a small serving dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 weeks. Serve it very cold to contrast with the warm pudding.

* To soften butter, let stand on the counter until it reaches room temperature and is just spreadable. This will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. It's always important not to overdo it because the butter can become greasy.

42 comments:

Thomas "Sully" Sullivan said...

Per…per – achoo! I can’t even say persimmons without sneezing. My eyes are watering and my lips are puckering (hmmm…guess that makes persimmons a good Valentine’s prep). Hard brandy sauce makes sense as an antidote. Is that the idea? Sort of sweet-and-sour – wonder why the Chinese didn’t co-op this…or maybe there’s an equivalent in every culture. In any case, my jury is out on this one. I do like a balance of extremes that you can kinda regulate by proportioning each bite. Achoo!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Sully! Your comment reminded me that I should put in a reminder to use perfectly ripe persimmons which, by the way, are not the least bit pucker-inducing; they are very sweet. Just added it!

Cranberry Morning said...

I'm pretty sure I've never eaten a persimmon, Jean, but it was about two years ago that I ate my first pomegranate! I'm working my way there. This looks delicious and i'd love a piece this afternoon. Looks like a nice dessert to eat beside the fire on a snowy day.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Judy! Be sure to let the persimmons fully ripen. They are so ripe and soft when they are "ready" that they puree themselves!

Amy at love made my home said...

I don't think that I have ever eaten or seen a persimmon! I will have to look out for them! xx

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Amy, they're quite wonderful. You can eat them as they are or bake with them. Let me know if you find them!

Pauline Wiles said...

So much food for thought (no pun intended) in this post! I love persimmons but had never connected them with a pudding... nor had I any idea that steamed desserts could be done in a slow cooker. What an eye opener for me, Jean!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Pauline, thank you so much! I never knew either until I tried it. I use the slow cooker for cheesecakes as well, so at some point I thought, Why not steamed puddings?

The Cranky said...

This brings back so many happy childhood memories! My grandmother made the best persimmon pudding but would never share her recipe; sadly, it was never written down either so was lost when she passed. I'm certainly going to try making yours!

Angie's Recipes said...

Just finished the last persimmon :-(( This looks beyond delicious with that boozy butter sauce, Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jacqueline, I wish I had more of my grandmothers' and mothers' recipes. Some I've been able to re-create from taste memory; others are lost forever. I hope my recipe will be an acceptable substitute for your grandmother's! Unless she was from the British Isles, I'm guessing hers was probably baked rather than steamed.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Angie. Yes, that boozy butter sauce is always a hit! :-)

Daniela said...

My dearest Jean, your recipe sounds so YUMMY, almost irresistible !
Thank you, sweetest friend, I'm taking note while wishing you a most beautiful end of your week,
sending love to you,
with gratitude
Dany

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Dany, thank you! You *should* like it--it's definitely an "old world" dessert!

Linda Kay said...

Jean, would you believe I've never eaten a persimmon or anything made from it. I'll have to give it a try sometime.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

No, I don't believe it, Linda! Well, it's high time you tried persimmons! There are two kinds: astringent (very sour unless perfectly ripe and soft) and non-astringent (which can be eaten when they are firm). For baking, I always get the astringent kind and let them further ripen on the counter until they are very soft and can practically puree themselves!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Jean, your pudding and hard sauce looks divine. That's so neat you can make it using the crock pot! I can't remember the last time I've had persimmons---they can be delightful if prepared properly. ♥

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Martha Ellen! I'm keeping my slow cooker out on the counter these days, so I'm thinking of more things to do with it!

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

I've never tried persimmons, either, Jean, but I know I'd love your pudding, especially with that luscious sauce!!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you, Kitty! And especially with a nice cup of tea

TONY said...

Stovetop steamer? I am not sure we have them here. We have pressure cookers which use steam under pressure and I have seen nested pans used whereby the bottom pan contains water that turns into steam over a heat source and the nested pan on top contains the item to be cooked.
I must admit I have never had anything made with persimmons but this looks delicious and I am willing to try, Jean.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Tony, thank you. I hope you will try it soon. But don't taste an underripe one, it will put you off persimmons forever!

Bernideen said...

Dear Jean:
This looks wonderful and is unique. I made Martha Stewart's Persimmon cake quite a few years back but that was about the only time I used them. I will certainly print this out as I have 3-4 of the steamed pudding containers and have made those before. Thanks for sharing!

Michele M./ Finch Rest said...

Oh, my word does that look delicious.

I am embarassed to admit it, but I haven't a clue what a persimmon is. Seriously.

Thanks for sharing this exotic and wonderful dessert with us! Bet it is heavenly!

Have a wonderful week full of love! ♥♥♥

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Bernideen, it doesn't surprise in the least to hear that you have 3 or 4 pudding basins/moulds! I hope you'll make this in one of them soon.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Michele, you are not alone. I'm finding out that a lot of people haven't had persimmons yet. Do try them soon, but make sure they're ripe!

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

What's in my oven today? Meatballs! Nothing as decadent as your pudding and sauce. Oh my, I do enjoy a steamed pudding and yours looks fabulous, Jean! I'm also on the list of those who have not had persimmons. *Hangs head* Your hard sauce looks wonderful too. I have had that on plum pudding many times. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your day.

Blessings,
Sandi

Donna@Gardens Eye View said...

This looks and sounds amazing!


Donna@GardensEyeView
and LivingFromHappiness

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Sandi, thank you! I'm shocked that so many people have not had persimmons! I guess there's no shame in it. :D Wish I had meatballs in *my* oven right now!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks so much, Donna! Happy cooking -- and gardening!

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

We rarely have persimmons in our grocery stores, could be that they don't sell because they're unknown and people don't know how to eat them. Too bad, because your pudding sounds delicious and I'm sure I'd like it.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, Judith. That's interesting. But you can use an equal amount of some other puree (such as pumpkin) and get good results, though not the same flavor as persimmon.

Rue said...

I've never had a persimmon in my life, but I'm willing to try them. If I make this, I'd have to leave the raisins out, because they freak me out in desserts. I truly believe that oatmeal raisins cookies were developed by a mother that wanted her kids to eat healthier, so she tried to trick them into thinking they were chocolate chips. I know I'm weird LOL

xo,
rue

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

You are not alone, Rue. One of my BFFs will sit there and pick the raisins out of things I serve her! No, it doesn't bother me--I have thick skin! :D And I always thought oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were invented by a mother who ran out of raisins!

Swathi said...

Love this pudding it looks delicious and butter sauce to go with is so yum. I need to stay as your neighbor so that I can visit you every other day to taste these goodies, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. Pinning and tweeting.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thank you so much, Swathi! *I* need to be *your* neighbor so I can taste all the wonderful things *you* make!

April J Harris said...

Jean, not only do I love this recipe I really love the idea of steaming puddings in the slow cooker! It's so much nicer than having to do them on the stove. I have to be honest I have never had persimmons but your pudding looks amazing. Love the gorgeous brandy butter hard sauce too. Sharing. Thank you so much for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop. Hope to 'see' you again this week. The hop is open now.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

April, thank you! What I like about doing them in the slow cooker is you don't have to check on it, just put it in and forget about it.

The Charm of Home said...

That looks delicious! Such a great tea treat.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Thanks, TCOH! It does go beautifully with tea--that's my criteria for everything!

Antiques And Teacups said...

Looks delicious! The brandy butter hard sauce was always used in our Brit home at Christmas with the plum pud so this is nice to see it used elsewhere! Sorry I am a bit late, my back has kept me off the computer the last few days! Thanks so much for linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea!
Ruth

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Ruth, thank you! I like it on plum pudding as well. I'm so sorry you're still having trouble with your back. Hope it gets better soon.