Happy Thanksgiving everyone! As everyone has started traveling, we have stayed put this year due to the little time off we have but Christmas will be here before we know it!
Since Ryan and I celebrated our Thanksgiving with the graduate students on Sunday we decided to dwell with leftovers. The original plan was for me to preapre a new meal for Ryan for his birthday on Thanksgiving instead on Monday, but little did he know what I was planning. Every person should have their birthday dinner on their ACTUAL birthday so I quickly made him a Chilean meal that he requested and after coming home from a nice game of racquetball, he sat down to his birthday dinner all surprised. Yes. I like that face.
I made a Gaucho Steak for him and I heated up my Seitan roast and sliced it and served it with my secret Chilean chimichurri sauce that I introduced to him back in March. Ryan was practically salivating because it IS the best sauce! I think it went really well with my leftover seitan roast.
I also made my Grandma’s recipe for Papa Rusa, or Russian Potato that is super unique. Ryan let me know that this was his favorite. I had to take a break from making tamales the last 2 years. It is HARD work. All in all, Ryan was VERY happy with his birthday dinner. 🙂
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This morning I decided to revisit a new recipe. Can you tell that persimmons are in-season?? I love seeing the 2 kinds at the store. When I was purchasing some, the grocer stocking the fruit asked me how I used the Hachiya persimmons. I told him I loved baking with them since they seemed too uncomfortable raw. He completely agreed with me. He then proceeded to ask me how I liked the Fuyu persimmons and I realized I had not tasted that kind yet. He took one and washed and sliced it for me and let me eat in the produce section. How about that? He definitely sold it to me.
Fuyu persimmons are delicious to eat and resemble the tomato than the Hachiya persimmon. What I realized is that I had been eating the Hachiya when it was still unripe. When it is SUPER ripe and very soft to the touch it is perfect for eating. I am planning on making several recipes with my Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons. If is one thing I will not have to worry that this fruit will get overripe. It will be perfect!
I revisited my Tropical Persimmon Muffin recipe I created back in December 2009 and decided to tweak it a little using different natural sweetners and flours. I also decided to add a coconut whipped creme to make this more of a brunch item. I was very much happy with results.
I used spelt instead of whole wheat and coconut raw crystals instead of agave and vanilla extract instead of the lime extract. It was all together a BETTER muffin. The addition of the coconut creme was divine. Forget butter or Earth Balance (sorry) but this spiced creme was so delicious.
Make these for the holidays and have your family raving!
Tropical Persimmon Muffins
print recipe
makes a dozen muffins
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes
1 teaspoon baking SODA
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup Hachiya persimmon pulp (2 pieces of ripe fruit)-reserve 2 Tbsp for creme
1/2 cup Coconut Secret coconut crystals (or agave nectar)
3 Tablespoons Tropical Traditions coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin cups with liners.
Mix first 7 ingredients (dry) in a small bowl. Remove softened persimmon pulp from each fruit and discard the peel. Add the coconut oil, crystals and vanilla and mix well.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix. Pour mix into each muffin liner.
Bake for 25 minutes and cool for 10 minutes.
Coconut Spice Creme
prepare the night before
1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasonings
or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon & 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg)
2/3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons persimmon pulp
Mix all ingredients in a mixer and whip until smooth. Place in a covered bowl and refirgerate the night before or early in the morning. Let it set. Brings all the flavors together.
Use 1-2 Tablespoons of creme for each muffin. Enjoy!
