My Persimmon Cookies with Brandy Glaze are definitely not your Grandma's persimmon cookies.
I have made a lot of persimmon cookies in my lifetime. My first husband's family had persimmon trees, and we were always gifted with the fruit by the bagful. I made persimmon cake, bread, and once even tried a steamed persimmon pudding. But I mostly made persimmon cookies, lots and lots of persimmon cookies. I took them to work and passed them out to neighbors. I once threw a Christmas party for all the kids in the neighborhood complete with a rented Santa. The treat table was full of plates of persimmon cookies.
You may be familiar with the soft, cakey, spicy little treats. Decades have gone by since I baked all those cookies every winter. Today I wanted to best that familiar old cookie, not because it isn't good, but to see if I could. And, I did.
My Persimmon Cookies with Brandy Glaze are still soft, cakey, and spicy, but a little tipsy from the addition of brandy. These cookies retain their shape better and do not flatten out like most persimmon cookies.
Ingredients for Persimmon Cookies with Brandy Glaze
For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Ingredient Notes
Persimmon is the main ingredient in this recipe. You need the Hachiya persimmons for the cookie batter. Use chopped Fuyu persimmons in this recipe. Fuyus are the firm, sweet persimmions that can be eaten like an apple. Just chop them, and add them to the batter. They really add a lot of texture to the batter and help to keep the cookies from flattening out.
The cinnamon/nutmeg/clove spice combo is classic persimmon cookie flavorings. You could use pumpkin pie spice if you prefer. Don't overdo to clove. It is a sharp taste and you just want a hint of clove. The persimmons are very astringent so additional strong flavors are not needed.
Step by Step Instructions
Grease or line a cookie pan with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and mix until combined.
Add persimmon pulp and baking soda.
Mix well with the electric hand mixer on low.
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg.
Whisk until the spices and flour are mixed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Add the chopped Fuyu persimmon (or golden raisins) and the nuts.
Stir until the dough is mixed but do not over mix.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Meanwhile make the glaze.
Melt the butter in a pot. Off the heat add the brandy and sugar. Cook for 2 mins.
Add the chopped nuts and cook for an additional minute.
Add the heavy cream and cook for another minute. pour into small bowl.
Chill glaze while cookies bake. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Drop small scoops of the dough onto the prepared cookie pan
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until set and light golden brown around the edges.
Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Pour the pecan brandy glaze over the cookies. Dry on rack.
How to Make Persimmon Pulp for Cookies
I'll walk you through it step-by-step.
Before you start baking, you might want to check out my James Beard Award Winning Persimmon Bread! Persimmon bread is the best way to make the most of autumn's most beautiful fruit. This quick bread is a moist and sweet bread, like banana bread, but with a persimmon flavor. It is now one of my favorite persimmon recipes.
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop optional
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
For the cookie:
- ¼ cup softened butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk or one small egg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup Hachiya persimmon pulp
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ cup chopped Fuyu persimmon or golden raisins
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the topping:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons brandy
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1.5 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Grease or line a cookie pan with parchment paper.
- Place the raisins in small bowl and pour enough brandy just to cover the raisins. Heat for 20-30 seconds in the microwave until warmed up. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add persimmon pulp and baking soda. Mix well.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, whisking to combine. Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix! Stir in the chopped Fuyu persimmon (or golden raisins) and the nuts. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop small scoops of the dough onto the prepared cookie pan leaving adequate space between them. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until just set and light golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven to wire rack placed over wax paper or parchment.
For the glaze:
- Melt two tablespoons butter in a heavy bottomed nonstick pan. Remove from heat and pour in the brandy and granulated sugar.
- Stir and place back on stove over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Add the pecans and stir well
- When sauce has simmered a couple of minutes, add the heavy cream and whisk until combined well.
- Remove from stove. Use a teaspoon to pour the pecan glaze over the warm cookies.
- Allow cookies to cool and set before serving.
Sue says
I love the persimmon in these cookies, so unique!