Description

These Persimmon Spice Cookies are a delightful blend of sweet and warm flavors, featuring fresh persimmon pulp combined with aromatic spices, golden raisins, and crunchy walnuts. Perfectly soft with a slight crisp on the edges, these cookies bring seasonal autumn warmth to your cookie jar and are simple to prepare.

Ingredients

Scale

Fruits and Nuts

1 cup Golden Raisins
1 cup Persimmon pulp
1 cup Walnuts, chopped
Zest of 1 Orange

Dairy and Eggs

1/2 cup Butter
1 Egg

Sugars

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Dry Ingredients and Spices

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) to ensure it’s hot enough for baking your cookies evenly.
Prepare Persimmon Pulp: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of persimmon pulp and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes until it becomes slightly jelled, which helps activate the baking soda for leavening.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for the dough.
Add Egg and Persimmon: Mix in 1 egg and the prepared persimmon pulp into the butter and sugar mixture until everything is fully incorporated.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and the zest of one orange. Gradually beat this dry mix into the wet ingredients until thoroughly blended.
Add Raisins and Walnuts: Fold in 1 cup golden raisins and 1 cup chopped walnuts evenly into the cookie dough for added texture and flavor.
Scoop Dough: Drop rounded tablespoons of the cookie dough onto a lightly buttered or parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow spreading during baking.
Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops appear dry. This ensures cookies are baked through but remain soft inside.
Cool: Remove the cookies using a spatula and place them on a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

Make sure persimmons are fully ripe for the best natural sweetness and soft pulp texture.
Allow the persimmon and baking soda mixture to sit; this step is essential for proper leavening and texture.
Feel free to substitute walnuts with pecans or omit nuts for a nut-free version.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
For a zestier flavor, add a teaspoon of fresh orange juice along with the zest.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Persimmon cookies, spiced cookies, fall cookies, holiday baking, walnut cookies, raisin cookies