Persimmon and Ginger Upside-Down Cake

There are two type of persimmons that can be easily found around New York this time of year: fuyu and hachiya. This cake uses fuyu persimmons which are the short and squatty variety and unlike their hachiya cousins you don't have to wait until they are squishy-ripe to eat them. They have a sweet, honeyed flavor with a bit of vanilla and spice that makes them the perfect match for this spicy ginger cake. Make sure to have some unsweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche on hand to serve; a bit of something cool and creamy helps to balance the sweet persimmon slices and extra spicy cake.

I made another version of this cake a couple of years ago with poached quince. It's also great with pears or apples.

Persimmon and Ginger Upside-Down Cake 
adapted from the Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook

For the Topping

3 Tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
4-5 firm, but ripe fuyu persimmons

For the Cake

1 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325º. Butter a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with high sides and line the bottom with an  circle of parchment paper.

For the Topping

Peel and slice the persimmon into 1/4-inch slices (a y-shaped peeler is great for this task).  In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the bottom of your lined pan, then arrange the fruit on top in a decorative pattern making sure that the bottom of the pan is covered. Put pan aside.

For the Cake

1. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, add the grated ginger and zests. Mix for 1 more minute.
2. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Then slowly pour in the molasses.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter, being careful not to overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate and gently peel away the parchment paper.

Eat warm with a dollop of whipped cream, crème fraîche  or a scoop of ice cream. This cake is best the day it's made.

Fall Fruit Recipes and a Simple Apple Galette

The apple galette above was made with my tried and true method: Roll out a circle of pastry (this time it was rough puff pastry, 12'' wide, 1/8-1/4 inch thick), top it with a generous layer of jam (plum in this case), add some sliced fruit (apples with the peels on because I am a lazy rebel), then paint an egg wash on the pastry, sprinkle the whole mess generously with coarse sugar and bake at 375º  25-35 minutes or until deep golden brown. It works like a charm every time.

Here are some more ways, from this site and others, to use all of the glorious fruit available right now. If you have any favorite fall recipes, please share them in the comments below.

Apples 

Apple Butter
Classic Apple Pie
Apple Yogurt Cake
Apple Cider Donuts
Brown Butter Apple Pie Bars
Unfussy Apple Cake
Apple, Cranberry and Quince Pie
Roasted Apple Scones with Ginger
Apple Cider Caramels
Apple Jelly with Lemon Verbena
Caramel Apple Cider Pie

Quince


Quince and Cream Cheese Danish (GF)
Cranberry Quince Preserves
Quince Custard Cake
Quince and Vanilla Sorbet 
Membrillo (quince paste)
Quince and Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie

Persimmon

Lebni Tart with Persimmon and Pomegranate
Persimmon Bread
Persimmon Scones
Chocolate and Persimmon Tart
Broiled Persimmon with Mascarpone

Concord Grapes

Concord Grape Pie
Concord Grape Jam and Handpies
Concord Grape Shrub
Concord Grape Sorbet
Concord Grape Juice

Pawpaw

Pawpaw Sorbet
Pawpaw Creme Brûlée

Pumpkin/Squash

Pumpkin Donuts with Buttermilk Glaze
Caramelized Pumpkin Puddings
Pumpkin Oat Bread
Pumpkin Pancakes
Spiced Pumpkin Scones
Squash Harvest Loaves
Pumpkin Hazelnut Coffee Cake

Pears

Pear Vanilla Dutch Baby Pancake
Poached Pears with Warm Chocolate Sauce
Black Sesame and Pear Tea Cake
Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes
Pear and Gorgonzola Pie
Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears

Happy Fall Baking!

Lebni Tart with Persimmon and Pomegranate

Next up in my unofficial holiday "Parade of Tarts" is this jeweled beauty. The base, hiding underneath all of that fruit, is made from lebni (sometimes spelled labneh) which a yogurt cheese used often in the Mediterranean and Middle East. It's a lot like sour cream with some oomph, but the great thing is that it's tartness makes the finished filling like a nice, light cheesecake. The topping of sweet persimmon slices and crunchy pomegranate arils scattered on top like jewels makes it perfect for any holiday table.

A note on de-seeding a pomegranate: We eat a lot of pomegranates in my family over the holidays and my dad used to be in charge of de-seeding them. His technique was to cut the pomegranates in half and just bang the hell out them with a wooden spoon until all of the seeds fell out, which works just fine, but also makes the kitchen look like a crime scene. So, now I prefer this underwater method which is just a bit tidier.

Lebni Tart with Persimmon and Pomegranate

Sweet Tart Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold, cubed butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons water

1. In the bowl of a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the yolk and pulse, then slowly stream in the water and pulse until the mixture begins to clump a bit.
2. Lightly butter your tart pan or pans and gently press the crumbly dough into the pan. Make sure to evenly coat the bottom and the sides while being careful to not compact the dough too much. You may have a bit of extra dough, save it just in case you have to repair any cracks later on. Freeze the tart shell(s) for 30min.
3. Preheat your oven to 375º and bake the tart shell on a baking sheet (no need for pie weights) until it is lightly golden, repair any cracks that may have formed with your leftover dough. While the shell is baking, prepare the filling.

Lebni Filling
adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert
Alice cautions that the order in which the ingredients are mixed really makes a big difference in the smoothness of the finished tart, so follow these directions exactly or I'll tell Alice!

3 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups labneh (kefir cheese)

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla. Then, whisk in the cheese.

To Bake

Turn the oven down to 300º

Pour the filling mixture into the warm tart shell and return to the oven to bake until the filling is set, but jiggles slightly in the center, about 15-20 minutes. Take care not to over bake the filling, as it will ruin the smooth texture of the filling.

To Garnish

Cool the tart completely then top with 4 peeled (a y shaped peeler is great for this task) and sliced fuyu persimmons (the short, chubby ones) and the arils from one pomegranate (about a cup's worth). Serve immediately. This tart is exceptionally good without the fruit, so if you can't find persimmons and pomegranates, don't let that stop you!