I grew up in Alaska and moved to the PNW for college, so I never knew persimmons until I moved to Southern California. These peculiar pudding-type fruits were a mystery to me – when they were ripe they were amazing, but catch them a day too early and the astringency would have you spitting them out in the trash can!
The persimmons of California are not really reproducible up north, but I was lucky enough to receive some Fuyu persimmons in my CSA. I let them sit on the counter for a couple weeks to ensure they’d be fully ripe, while exploring what to do with them. Historically, I’d have made a persimmon gorgonzola fettucine with them, but I’m pulling way back on dairy per my body’s request, so I wanted something dairy-free.
Scones? How about some scones?
The holidays are definitely a time to cozy up to a mug of tea or coffee and a hearty scone, so I did a little digging and created this recipe, inspired by a persimmon almond scone recipe I found here. By adding ginger, I feel the original recipe was given a nice, seasonal bit of spice that complemented the persimmon, rather than dominated the flavor profile.
I hope you enjoy this scone recipe as much as we have!
Ginger Persimmon Scones (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan)
- 1 1 /2 cups gluten-free flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup sucanat or coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, cold
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Fuyu persimmons, peeled and chopped (about 2)
- ⅓ cup crystalized ginger, chopped
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or sucanat/coconut sugar)
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine the gluten-free flour, almond flour, sweetener of choice, cardamom, ground ginger, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine.
- Cut the coconut oil into the bowl and with a pastry cutter or your fingers. Work the coconut oil into the dry ingredients until evenly distributed and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the persimmon, ginger, coconut milk, and vanilla extract and stir until just to combine, being mindful not to overwork the dough. Dust the parchment with a little flour and turn the dough out onto the baking sheet. Gently form the dough into a circle about 1-inch thick and flatten the top. Using a dough scraper or sharp knife cut the dough into eight equal triangles, separating the slices about 1-inch apart to decrease overall cooking time. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top of the scones. Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove the scones from the oven and immediately slide the parchment onto a cooling rack.
Like all scones, these are best the first day but will freeze well. If frozen, re-heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds. For even better texture thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat them in the oven at 350 for 7-8 minutes.
