Persimmon Turnovers

Have you ever had a persimmon?  Right around November, these bright orange beauties start popping up in the stores and I go a little over the top.  This season I've already managed to eat over 20lbs of these....by myself.  If they weren't fruit, I'd be ashamed at my lack of control.  

It's difficult to describe the flavor to someone who's never had one...it's definitely nothing like the tomato it resembles.  

Or clarification...the Fuyu persimmon resembles a tomato.  This kind of persimmon can be eaten at any stage.  I start eating them as soon as they first hit the market in bulk and at that point they are a little green still and not the slightest bit soft.  I think they are still pretty fabulous in this stage...apple like in crispness and you can eat the peel just like an apple.  As the season progresses though, these become bright orange and when they are ripe, they are squishy, yummy sweet soft.  The peel never softens so I stop eating those once the texture of the inside fruit becomes softer than the skin. 

The Hachiya persimmon however, is shaped a lot like a human heart and requires that it be completely ripe or you are in for one nasty, astringent, cottony textured surprise.  When ripe though, they are even sweeter than the Fuyu.

I usually just stick to the Fuyus because they are easy . And after eating my 20lbs this season, I thought I'd try baking with these little babies....finally.  I say I'm going to bake with them every year and then I can't seem to sacrifice even one to the baking sheet. 

I used super ripe sweet persimmons with a bit of cinnamon, salt, flour and brown sugar and cooked for about 5 minutes until flour thickened.  If I were baking a pie, or using pie crust, I probably wouldn't have pre-cooked the filling.

A few premade puff pastry sheets and these came together pretty quickly. 

I adore puff pastry.  Or any pastry really.  

The result wasn't too bad.  Il oved the cinnamony goodness and I pretty much like anything wrapped in puff pastry.  Truthfully though, I'm really just as happy snacking on a persimmon in its raw and perfect state.  If you like to mix it up though, this is quite reminiscent of an apple pie, with a bit of a flavor twist. 

Random dog picture.   

Because I can. 

Persimmon Turnovers

4 ripe Fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon butter

puff pastry sheet cut into squares

1 egg white with 1 tsp water, well beaten

Sugar in the raw for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan combine persimmons, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, orange peel and butter.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until flour thickens.  Depending upon ripeness of persimmon, you may need to add 1 tbsp of water.
3. Spoon filling into center of puff pastry square.  Dip your finger in water and run around the edges of puff pastry dough. Fold puff pastry over diagonally and press all edges to seal
4. Brush top with egg mixture and sprinkle with sugar in the raw. 
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.