Persimmons are available in many stores now, and they're perfect for making soft, sweet drop scones. The persimmons should be soft and squishy to enjoy their full sweetness and flavor. These scones need no butter--just a bit of canola oil--and come out soft, sweet, and moist because of the persimmon pulp in the dough. A little sweet spice enhances the flavor, and golden raisins add more sweet-tart flavor. These scones are drop scones, so you needn't roll them out, meaning you can get the scones in the oven quickly with minimal mess on your counters. If you'd like more uniform shapes, simply dip your hands in a little water after you drop the scones on the baking sheet and then shape the scones a bit with your damp hands. Easy and simple. A little sugar sprinkled on top of the dough provides a nice, sweet crust on top of the scones as well as dressing them up. These scones are perfect for breakfast, tea, or alongside dinner as a special treat.
Persimmon-Golden Raisin Scones -- Makes about 12
1 cup of persimmon pulp (from 2-3 soft persimmons)
1 egg
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of canola oil
3/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour (or substitute all-purpose)
1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of golden raisins
Sugar for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. In a large bowl, beat together the egg, sugar, and canola oil with a spoon until blended. Stir in the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt until combined. Stir in the raisins. Drop about 12 mounds of the dough (about 3 tablespoons each) on the baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between each mound. If you'd like nicer shaped scones, dampen your hands with a little water and shape each bit of dough into a round-disk-like shape. Sprinkle the top of each bit of dough with a little sugar. Bake the scones for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Let the scones cool a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet to cool completely.
