Bourbon Pecan Persimmon Bread has a hint of bourbon and persimmon packed with crunchy pecans. It’s moist, delicious, and would make a delicious food gift for friends and family.

I received a box of produce to participate in the Melissa’s Produce Family Baking Challenge but all opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting those brands that support A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.

Confession. I have never had persimmons. I bought them once and never used them. They rotted because I completely forgot I purchased them for a salad. And since I really didn’t know how to use them or what to do with them, I was okay with that.

Fast forward a few years and here I have this lovely package of persimmons from Melissa’s Produce as part of their #FamilyBakingChallenge. They shared a persimmon bread and a crème brûlée recipe. I misread and thought there was pumpkin in the bread, but it’s pumpkin persimmons. Reading is not my strong suite. And I don’t have a torch for crème brûlée. Not to mention the one time the hubs tried it he said it was too sweet.

So, I headed to Pinterest to find other inspiration for persimmon breads. There were pecan persimmon breads and cranberry persimmon breads. Then I remember a bourbon banana bread I made a while ago and wondered how that would taste with the persimmons. Because any excuse to bake with bourbon, and my favorite bourbon at that, is a good one to me.

That bread has pistachios in it. But this one has maple-y delicious pecans in there. I think bourbon pairs perfect with the pecans. Did you catch the alliteration there? Y’all know I love me some alliteration. But I’m serious. The sweet pecans with their maple like flavor really does highlight the flavor of the bourbon. And not just any bourbon, but it has to be KO Bourbon from our local distillery. I’ve talked about them plenty lately. I will talk about them again when I pick up the reserve blend they have for me.

That bread has pistachios in it. But this one has maple-y delicious pecans in there. I think bourbon pairs perfect with the pecans. Did you catch the alliteration there? Y’all know I love me some alliteration. But I’m serious. The sweet pecans with their maple like flavor really does highlight the flavor of the bourbon. And not just any bourbon, but it has to be KO Bourbon from our local distillery. I’ve talked about them plenty lately. I will talk about them again when I pick up the reserve blend they have for me.

What is a persimmon?

Persimmon have existed in China for more than 10 THOUSAND years. That’s a long time for a fruit. It’s Japan’s national fruit. Do we even have one of those? And have been cultivated in Japan since the 10th century. That’s just crazy.

Persimmons are a berry. Yes. They’re a berry. Like the tomato and a banana is a berry. Look it up if you don’t believe me. There is no stone in the fruit. The flesh of the fruit is made up of almost the entire fruit. There is a seed that is imbedded inside the fruit. Yes, the banana has a seed. Look it up.

The persimmon didn’t have a great start in the US. They tried seeds, but the cold winters we have here made it difficult to cultivate them here. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s when USDA introduced some grafted plants in California and Georgia and those took hold.

While there are thousands of varieties in Asia, there’s just a few that actually grow in the States. Fuyu, Fuyugaki, Giant Fuyu, Chocolate, Eureka, Hachiya, Jiro, Tam-o-pan, and Tanenashi are the species that can be successfully cultivated here. I think the most popular ones are Hachiya and Fuyu.

What’s the difference between Hachiya and Fuyu persimmons?

Fuyu are squatter in shape and usually eaten while they’re hard and crisp. You eat them more like an apple. The Hachiya are longer and need more time on the tree to ripen. Ripe Hachiya persimmons feel like a water balloon. Or so I’ve read. You can easily cut off the stem end and scoop it out with a spoon. They are also traditionally dried which concentrates their sweet flavor.

What does a persimmon taste like?

I didn’t taste them. I know. That’s someone I have been harassing people with these new fruits we received from Melissa’s produce. I do have three others in the fridge, so I will definitely be tasting one of those. Some describe the persimmon as a mango and sweet bell pepper combined? I cannot imagine that combination. Some describe a fully ripe Hachiya as tasting like maple syrup drizzled over pumpkin pie?

You can see some chunks of persimmon in the bread along with the pecans. They don’t completely color the bourbon pecan persimmon bread. At least mine didn’t. I think some of them weren’t as ripe as others and stayed in chunks instead of mashing completely. This is fine. That means little chunks of persimmon were in a few bites of the bread.

The persimmon does make this one of the moister breads I’ve ever made. Above and beyond some of the banana breads I’ve made. I will have to try this recipe with the banana pulp in place of the persimmon to see if it’s the recipe or the persimmons. I’ll keep you posted.

This bourbon pecan persimmon bread vanished at work. It received rave reviews. I ate three pieces myself. It’s so good. Slightly sweet with the hint of bourbon and sweet pecans for crunch. The sweet persimmon chunks buried in there.

And with the brown sugar, there’s a slightly crispy coating on the outside. Especially around the edges of the pan. It’s like crunchy concentrated bis of persimmon bread yum!

Food Gifts

• Bourbon Pecan Persimmon Bread by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Caramel Crunch Popcorn by Making Miracles
• Chocolate Red Wine Cake by That Recipe
• Dal Soup in a Jar by Magical Ingredients
• Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pecans by Blogghetti
• Hot Chocolate Bombs by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Loaded Pretzel Rods by Art of Natural Living
• Original Chex Mix by Family Around the Table
• Pancake Mix by Books n’ Cooks
• Simple Fudge by Our Good Life

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