Carol Dull's Persimmon Pudding

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the puree and eggs together.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend to fully incorporate them.

Pour into a buttered ovenproof 13x9 inch heavy metal roasting pan with 4 or 5 inch deep sides.

Bake for 2 hours stirring every 15 minutes. The last three times that you stir the pudding, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a heat safe counter or board. Use a hand held electric mixer to whip the pudding for a few minutes and place it back in the oven.

Remove the pudding from the oven and allow it to cool before serving (although some people love this served warm).

If preparing it the day before serving, allow the pudding to cool completely and place plastic wrap directly in contact with the top of the pudding to prevent browning and place it in your refrigerator until serving time.

Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream.

Victoria's Notes: Because this persimmon pudding is very rich, I served it two ways on Thanksgiving Day. For my guests who just wanted a light bite, I filled tiny pre-made phyllo shells (available in the freezer section at the supermarket) with about a teaspoon of the pudding and topped them with a dab of fat free whipped topping to make miniature persimmon pudding tarts. I served the rest of the pudding in a bowl so everyone else could help themselves.

FYI: A large Fuyu persimmon has 110 calories, 31 carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber. They are rich in beta carotene and an excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Using persimmons to predict the weather: If you crack a persimmon seed open, you will find a shape that either resembles a knife, fork or spoon. Those symbols can be used to predict the coming winter's weather. If you find the image of a spoon inside the seed, there will be lots of snow. A fork means you can expect a mild winter with light snow. A knife-shaped kernel indicates bitter, icy winds. Last year we tried it and the persimmon was right on target with its prediction!