Author Notes
This recipe is adapted from James Beard's persimmon bread recipe. I made it for the first time the night before Thanksgiving, as a little indulgence after a day of cooking. With so much cinnamon this and nutmeg that, the last thing I wanted was another pumpkin pie-spiced baked good. On a whim, I tossed some aniseed into the batter, and discovered that syrupy-sweet persimmon and licoricey anise go wonderfully together. Combine them in a moist, dense quickbread, and you have the perfect cold-weather treat. —ieatthepeach
Ingredients
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1 cup
sifted all-purpose flour
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3/4 cup
sifted whole wheat flour
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3/4 teaspoon
salt
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1 teaspoon
baking soda
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1 cup
granulated sugar
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2
large eggs, at room temperature
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1/2 cup
pure olive oil (not extra virgin)
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1/3 cup
brandy or bourbon
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1 cup
persimmon puree (from about 4 ripe Fuyus or two squishy-ripe Hachiyas)
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3/4 teaspoon
whole anise (aniseeds)
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and butter or grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, or dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the middle, then crack in the eggs and beat them lightly in the middle of the well. Add olive oil, brandy or bourbon, persimmon puree, and anise, and mix until the last traces of flour have just disappeared.
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Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn it out of the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
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Wrap any leftover bread tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. The wrapped bread will keep for about a week at room temperature, or up to two months in the freezer.
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