Persimmon Pudding

From the book The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis

Introduction

Uncultivated persimmons are more delicious after a frost has fallen on them — and the ones around us were at their best just about Christmastime. Uncultivated ones are not as juicy but they are more tasty and darker when frostbitten.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Remove all tissue and skin from the suet and chop it finely with a chopping knife. Remove the crust from enough slices of white bread to make ⅔ cup grated. (Grating bread against the large holes of a box grater makes much lighter crumbs; it is quick and easy, too.) Put the crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk over the crumbs and leave them to stand a few minutes. Add the chopped suet, mix well, add sugar and flour and stir.
2. Beat the egg yolks and add them to the suet-crumb mixture; stir well. Add the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace, stirring after each addition. Cut the persimmons in half, remove the seeds, and scoop out the pulp. You should have about 2½ cups; add it to the suet-crumb mixture. Add the rum and baking powder. Lastly, beat the egg whites until stiff, fold them into the mixture, and spoon the mixture into a pudding mold.
3. Cover and set the mold into a container of boiling water. Steam for 1½ hours. Remove from burner and leave to cool in mold. Reheat by steaming again on a slow burner for 1 hour. Serve hot with Clear Sauce.

This content is from the book The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis.