Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.  ~George Eliot

I have written in previous years about my love affair with persimmons.  We have two trees in our yard – this year was a good year for both of them.  (I actually prefer store-bought ones because they tend to be seedless, but free is free!)  We dice them up and throw them into salads, slice them up for guests or our kids for breakfast, and try different recipes.   I recently found  this recipe from a fellow blogger that is our favorite way to cook persimmons – it is perfect for fall because it combines the yummy flavor of nutmeg with pureed persimmons.  (Although they puree them, we think you could add them chopped and it would be just as good).  I also think this coffee cake would work fine with apples, instead. Tonight we enjoyed this coffee cake topped with whipped cream with our good friends the Sakamotos;  I made it one morning and we offered butter on the side.  Either way – it is really good!

Persimmon Coffee Cake

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens: New Cookbook

1 ¾ cup whole wheat or all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped walnuts, or nut of choice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup persimmon puree (6 small very ripe Hongshi persimmons)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the flour, sugar, and 4 tablespoons of butter until it forms into a loose, sandy, crumble.  Remove ½ cup of the mixture and add the last tablespoon of butter, ¼ cup of the chopped nuts, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

To the remaining crumb mixture, add the baking powder and baking soda.  Then mix in the eggs,nuts, and persimmon puree until combined.

In a well greased 9x9x2 inch baking pan or two 4¾ x 2½ inch loaf pans, pour in the batter.  Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly on top.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

*If the top starts to burn, as mine did, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top.