Persimmon Pudding

Growing up in Brooklyn. I never saw persimmons in our fruitstands. When I first started shopping in San Francisco markets. I was dazzled by the color and shape of this fruit and arranged bowls of them as dining table centerpieces. Finally I learned what you could do with them besides eat them out of hand when they become soft and ripe.

This is a traditional holiday dessert at my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, a variation on the English plum pudding. I used to serve hard sauce w