If there’s one thing I love about autumn, it’s the seasonal product it brings with it – the bountiful fruit and vegetables that are thriving during this time of year. One of those is P.D.O. Persimon® from Spain which is available in all major retailers from October to early January and are grown in the Ribera del Xúquer Valley, near Valencia. This Rojo Brillante variety with a registered trademark is P.D.O. certified; just like a Manchego or Stilton cheese, or a Rioja wine. Its P.D.O. Kaki Ribera Del Xúquer status ensures quality and traceability.
Now I must confess, although I’ve seen these gorgeous fruits appear in supermarket shelves over the years, up until now I hadn’t tried them and gosh do I feel like I’ve been missing out?! With juicy, soft flesh covered in a super thin and smooth edible skin, Persimon® are unique in that they don’t have any pips or a stone – just remove the top stem and eat the whole fruit, no faff required. I love how they are delicious without being overly sweet or tangy; a bit like a mango or peach but with a nice delicate, mellow flavour.
So why not create this wonderful dessert in time for Bonfire Night? A gluten-free pastry case smothered with an orange and Persimon® ‘custard’, topped with slices of the fruit and finished with an almond oaty crumble. Autumnal perfection!”
Ingredients:
For the pastry case –
- 100g gluten-free flour
- 100g ground almonds or almond flour
- 40g sweetener
- 100g margarine
- 9-10 tablespoons cold water
For the orange Persimon® ‘custard’ –
- 3 Persimon® fruits, chopped
- 150ml condensed milk (can be dairy-free)
- Juice of 1 orange
- 4 tablespoons sweetener
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
To decorate –
- 1-2 Persimon® fruits, sliced
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 30g oats
- 20g flaked almonds
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Get making!
- First make the pastry: Place the flour in a bowl then add the margarine. Use a fork to work into the flour to form breadcrumbs, then stir in the sweetener and gradually add in enough water to form a dough. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the custard: Place the Persimon® pieces in a pan with the orange juice and simmer for 5-10 minutes until softened then set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Add to a blender with the condensed milk, sweetener and cornflour and whizz up until thick and smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 170C and grease a 20cm loose bottom tart tin. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface then use to line the tin to make sure it covers up the base and up the sides. Prick with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, spoon in the custard and spread out to fill the pastry case. Arrange the Persimon® slices on top of the tart then sprinkle over the coconut sugar.
- Mix together the oats, flaked almonds, syrup, ginger and oil to form a sticky crumb then sprinkle over. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until firmed up and golden. Leave to cool completely then remove from the tin, slice and serve!
Note: This is a paid post in collaboration with the brand.