Persimmon Breakfast Parfait
It’s persimmon season. These delectable little fruits are among our favorites. I’m more partial to Fuyu (they are the shorter, firmer variety) but for cooking the Hachiya is better. No cooking here but I used both in this because, why not?
When choosing persimmons you want the skin to be smooth and deep orange in color. The Fuyu will be firm, but it could be crunchy or softer inside. Either way, it is the sweeter variety and I love to add it to salads. The Hachiya are more of a heart shaped fruit, it should be softer to the touch and will be soft inside. They can be a bit chalky if they aren’t ripe, unlike the Fuyu which are great no matter what.
The perfect pairing with persimmon are Indian spices. It begs to be added to cardamom and clove and every aromatic spice India has to offer. Which of course inspired the rest of this recipe. Since I decided to add the spices to the granola I needed a cream to layer in between.
I made a cashew cream previously so I thought pistachio would be a nice replacement, but it still needed a little something more. A hint of rose took this over the top. A staple in so many cultures, rose water is easy to buy and is available in most supermarkets.
Marie and I could eat this all day, every day and it was a big hit with the kids too. I’m making it again tomorrow because it’s really that damn good.
RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Persimmon Breakfast Parfait
Granola
1 cup oats
1 Fuyu persimmon diced and dehydrated separately (takes about 6-8 hours)
2 tblsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp each of ginger, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg
Toss all ingredients together well and spread on sheet. Place in dehydrator at 115 degrees for 20 mins, toss or turn over for another 20 mins.
Hachiya
2 ripe Hachiya persimmons peeled and diced
Mash with a fork until relatively smooth
Pistachio Rose Cream
1/2 cup raw pistachios
1 tblsp maple syrup
1/8 cup almond milk
1 tblsp rose water
Puree pistachios until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend.
Layer granola, then persimmon, granola again and top with pistachio rose cream. Garnish with dehydrated Fuyu and crushed pistachios.
