Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Holiday Magic and Green Persimmons

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and once again I am looking forward, with great anticipation, to the gathering of my family, together, in my home.

We will dine on our traditional holiday meal of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, dumplings, green beans, devilled eggs, broccoli/cheese salad, cranberry sauce, corn, and any manner of random offerings my sisters, mother, or genetic offspring decide to bring.

Did I mention chocolate cake and assorted pies? And, of course, persimmon pudding?

Some of you might not be familiar with persimmon pudding. I think it's a tradition that is common mostly in southern Indiana and the immediate areas, although persimmons are also found in the Far East.

Here is my recipe for persimmon pudding. Try it if you dare!

Mamacita's Persimmon Pudding

2 C. persimmon pulp
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C. sugar (I use Splenda)
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 C. flour
2 1/2 C. evaporated milk
1/2 stick margarine, melted

Dump it all in a large bowl and beat it 'till it's smooth. Pour the batter into a large buttered baking pan and bake at 325 for approximately 60 minutes. Start checking it after 45 minutes; each batch is different. It's done when the toothpick comes out clean.

Sometimes I put cream cheese frosting on it, sometimes I serve it plain with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip.

In this community, most people pick the persimmons off the ground and run them through a special grinder to make the pulp. We can also buy frozen pulp at any grocery store here, but it's best to use pulp you made, yourself, or that someone else just made. It keeps in the freezer for several years.

A good trick to play on a pesky younger sibling or neighborhood kid is to tell him/her to touch his/her tongue to a green persimmon. Heh heh heh. Their reaction is well worth the punishment you get for 'being mean to your little brother, etc, etc, blah blah blah." Oh, the joys and perils of childhood are many and diverse. . . . .

Now I'm off to get dressed (I slept in, so what, I'm THANKFUL for it!) and start cooking. And while the yeast rises, I'll dust and polish the staircase. And when I get to the bottom of the stairs, I'll throw some clothes into the washing machine. And by then, the stairs will be dry and I can go back upstairs and cook some more.

I LOVE this time of year! All the holiday magic is ahead of us.

Are we ever too old to savor the anticipation of holiday magic?