Spiced Persimmon Swirl Cheesecake

Recipe adapted from multiple sources & some creative taste testing!

Ingredients
Crust
2 cups finely crushed Ginger Snap cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
24 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs from the farmer's market
1 cup persimmon pulp*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice (special blend of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, & ginger)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F

Crust

1. Mix cookie crumbs, walnuts and butter with hands until a wet sand consistency forms.
2. Press mixture firmly along the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

Filling

1. In a small bowl, stir the persimmon pulp with the Chinese Five Spice blend; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until well blended.
3. On low speed, add eggs one at a time. Mixing each time just until blended.
4. Pour the filling over the crust in the springform pan. Use a spatula to even the surface and release any air pockets.
5. Drop the spiced persimmon pulp by the teaspoonful on top of the cake. With a fork or toothpick, gently swirl the persimmon into the filling without disturbing the crust to achieve a marbled/swirled effect. Reserve any leftover persimmon for garnishing later.
6. Bake for 55 minutes or until the center is almost set. Do not overbake.
7. Transfer pan to rack; allow cake to cool completely.  Refrigerate, uncovered, for 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a thin knife along the edge of cake to loosen.

Persimmon Season

Ask any middle class suburbanite how they know that the Fall season has arrived and you will undoubtedly get the response:
   
           "When Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Late is back!"

Joking aside, as a locovore, I sense the arrival of Fall when I start to see my neighborhood Persimmon trees bearing their fruit. Wild persimmons are one of the most common yet overlooked American fruit. The taste has been described as a cross between a plum and an apricot, and I would add that the pulp smells similar to pumpkin.

Photo courtesy of SlowFoodUSA.org

Wild persimmons are native to a wide swath of the southeastern U.S. Early American settlers valued persimmon because it was easily available and literally falls into your hands when you shake a ripe tree. The fruit was commonly used to make breads, thick soups and sweet pudding.

Though the trees are harder to find now because of general deforestation, modern persimmon recipes abound, and most of them start with the same base: persimmon pulp. A fair warning: Preparing persimmon pulp can be time consuming (but worth the effort).

Persimmon Pulp How-To
Make sure to gather only ripe fruit. Ripe persimmons are evenly orange and squish easily (this is probably why they aren't commonly sold in grocery stores). They should fall off the branch with just a light touch.

1. Using your fingers, remove the blossom tops and pinch off any darkened spots. 
2. Lightly rinse the fruit and place in a large, clean bowl. Add warm water until the fruit are all submerged and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
3. After soaking, pour out the water and return the fruit to the bowl. Get a potato masher (or similar tool) and mash the persimmons into a pudding like consistency. 
4. Get a fine mesh strainer and place inside another clean bowl; pour the mashed fruit in the strainer.
5. Using the masher or a spoon, press the pulp through the strainer. You will be left with a ton of seeds, skins, and fibers.

Compost the remains and your seed-free persimmon pulp is ready for use!

Local Author. Local Dinner.

The Hungry Intellectuals Book and Supper Club invite you to dinner and a book reading from local author, Cris Cohen from his new book titled Staying Crazy to Keep From Going Insane. Ticket sales for the dinner benefit Durham Central Park.

Cris Cohen of Cary, NC, is the humor columnist for the CaryCitizen.com and a prolific humor blogger.

“I am very flattered that the Hungry Intellectuals chose my book for this year’s event,” said Cohen. “It is possible that this decision was the result of a computer error or that most members voted while intoxicated. Although, to be fair, I think that is how most bills make it through Congress.”

Dinner Theme: NC Local and Seasonal Cuisine

Additional Details & To Buy Tickets