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Persimmon bread

Looking to add some new dishes to your holiday table this year? Try these recipes, which were submitted by readers as part of the Journal-World’s holiday dessert contest.

Persimmon Bread

Submitted by Alison Watkins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled to room temperature

2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/3 cup persimmon puree (from about 6 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons)

1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

1 cup raisins, or diced dried fruits (such as apricots, cranberries, or dates)

Directions:

Butter a loaf pan. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, ground nutmeg and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then stir in the butter, eggs, applesauce and persimmon puree. Mix in the nuts and raisins.

Transfer mixture to loaf pan.Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Bread will keep for about a week at room temperature if well-wrapped.

Eggnog Cranberry Salad

Submitted by Barb Starrett

Ingredients:

1 3-oz. package instant vanilla pudding

1 3-oz. package of lemon-flavored gelatin

1 3-oz. package of raspberry-flavored gelatin

1 can cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

6 oz. whipped topping

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil; add raspberry gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Turn off heat and add cranberry sauce. Whisk until mixture looks uniform. Fold in diced celery and pecans. Pour mixture into serving dish and chill until nearly set.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil; add dry vanilla pudding and lemon gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Turn off heat and whisk until well mixed. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Chill mixture in saucepan until partially set.

Stir whipped topping until no lumps remain. Fold whipped topping into pudding/gelatin mixture. Spread pudding/gelatin mixture over the set raspberry/ cranberry mixture. Sprinkle ground nutmeg evenly over the top. Chill until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Praline Sauce

Submitted by Betty Lynds

Ingredients:

Graham cracker crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cheese filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and 2 tablespoons sugar; mix well with a fork. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. With the back of a spoon, press the crumb mixture to the bottom and halfway up the side of the prepared pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, pumpkin, cream, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; mix until well blended and smooth.

Pour mixture into springform pan. Bake for 60 minutes and then turn off the oven. Let cheesecake stand in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Before serving, carefully loosen crust with a spatula and remove side of springform pan. Top with praline sauce:

Praline Sauce

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat; stir in brown sugar, whipping cream and corn syrup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. Cool slightly before serving.

Sweet Potato Pie

Submitted by Karen DeVictor

Ingredients:

Sweet potato layer:

3 cups mashed, cooked and peeled sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/3 stick margarine, softened

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pecan brown sugar topping:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup flour

1/3 stick butter or margarine, melted

(Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until a fork inserted to the middle of the largest potato comes out easily. Drain and let potatoes cool until they are not too hot to handle while peeling.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of the sweet potato layer ingredients together using an electric mixer, adding milk and vanilla extract last. Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients using your hands or a heavy wooden spoon. Consistency should be crumbly. Drop topping by tablespoonfuls onto the sweet potato casserole mixture.

Bake casserole for 30 to 35 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

Submitted by Darlene Bright

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1 16-ounce can pumpkin

1 13-ounce can evaporated skim milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar and margarine until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and spices together until smooth.

Remove pan from oven and pour pumpkin mixture on top of the crust layer. Return to oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Let cool and cut into squares to serve.

Upside-Down Apple Cobbler

Submitted by Barbara Watkins

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup white flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

3 cups unpeeled sliced apples

1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Put butter in an 8-inch square pan and set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.

Whisk flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add milk and whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream.

Perfectly Decadent Pie

Submitted by Karen Puckett

Ingredients:

2 9-inch pie crusts

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

6 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

2 tablespoons bourbon

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Put pie crusts into pie plates or aluminum pie shells. Flute edges. Bake for 10 minutes

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Stir in coconut, pecans and bourbon. Mixture will look curdled. Gently stir in chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into cooled crusts and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set.