Eagerly Awaiting The First Frost!

   It has been a long while since I have been able to hike far from the Little Bayou House.  This has been a long two months, to say the least.  Now, however, the doctors have given me the "go ahead" to return to living as I once was!  Life is good.  As much as I love the gardens,  I will gladly set aside my crown as Queen of the Small Gardens so I can venture forth!  Today was glorious!  Even though the weather dictated just how long the hike lasted, it was still exciting to be out and about.

  Down along the east side of the property right near the marsh, my usual path takes me into a grove of wild persimmon trees.  These small trees have been planted by Mother Nature so have no set design such as a normal "grove" would but are just clustered in random perfection.  This morning's hike brought that perfection to even a greater scale as all of the trees are loaded with the little blobs of orange goodness!  The trees are heavy with fruit.  While the tiny persimmons are not ripe yet, I know that soon I shall be able to have ready "hiking snacks".  

  Most folks do not care for the taste of the wild persimmons because they are accustomed to the cultivated sort which are much larger, sweeter and seedless (to an extent).  Personally, I prefer the wild.  They can be somewhat tart but have a much richer texture.  Also, they are not as mushy which is better suited to my taste.  Now, to wait for the first frost of the season that will ripen these beauties!  Hopefully, the coons will not raid the trees before I get my share.

One Last Bite

  My hiking got a bit longer today as the old dog felt somewhat better, the day was gorgeous and I had cabin fever.  I needed to get away from Christmas decorations for at least a little while!  While we slowly meandered the hillside, Mr. PJ sniffed everything as if it was all new after his four day absence.  I surveyed everything as if it was all new.  Then, down by the marsh edge, I spied a treasure!  One last wild persimmon dangled precariously on a broken branch.  Obviously, a raccoon had coveted that very same persimmon but the tiny limb did not hold its weight.  Now, the quarter-sized fruit was within my reach!  It was mine!  I happily gobbled the luscious orange blob!  It is going to be a long wait before I taste that again.  October 2019 is a long way off.

  While the wild persimmons are not for everyone, I love them.  The peels are a bit astringent even after a frost chills them and each fruit has seven or eight large, penny-sized seeds.  It is the sweet, juicy pulp that makes the fruit worth eating.  When I can pick enough of the fruit, they do make a delightful jam, as well, however, I usually eat every one I pick!  There will be no jam this year.  Oops!

  Wild persimmons, though small, are more nutritious than their cultivated counterparts.  For example, just one of these small fruits can give you up to 27% of your daily requirement of vitamin C.  The fruit can be used in many ways.  Jams, breads, puddings and cookies are just a few of the ways I use them.  Plus, the leaves are dried and used to make a great cup of tea!  Wild persimmons...a favorite here on the Bayou...the coons and I love them!

 

Winter Provisions

  While it seems that the possums and coons love the wild persimmons as much as I do, they have been kind enough to leave a few dangling on the trees.  These fine, one inch-sized fruits are the perfect snack to find along the path while out hiking.  Down by the east side of the property, I intentionally let the persimmon trees grow where they will.  The seedlings pop up wherever a seed hits the ground and the sandy soil there seems to agree with them.  In a couple of years, the little trees start setting fruit.  The pathway has dozens of the trees scattered along its way so during the late fall, I have instant snacks on hand!  I actually prefer these seedy miniature fruits to the large cultivated ones.  To me, the tartness and firmness of the wild fruits makes them superior to the others.  It is not uncommon for me to grab several handfuls of the fruit as I meander about the hillside.

  Since the critters shared the bounty, I have been getting my fill of the tasty treats but, today, I noticed that someone else must be having a taste for the persimmons.  On the hike down the pier, a bit of orange caught my eye.  Between two of the boards, a plump fruit was wedged in tight.  Some critter had decided to steal a persimmon and haul it all the way to the pier.  Strange???  The coons and possums that raid the trees simply eat their fill and then abandon the area.  They do not carry persimmons with them as they go.  This had to be the work of one of the billion or so squirrels that inhabit the place.  Those rascals are eating everything in sight here lately and I have no doubt one scampered to the pier to dine.  What fruit the squirrels do not immediately eat, they stow away for the winter.  I watched as a female squirrel raided the kumquat tree.  She was picking the ripe fruits and burying them under the Boysenberry vines.  I suppose by mid summer of this next year, dozens of little trees will be found sprouting up there.  Perhaps the same thing happened with this persimmon.  Some enterprising young squirrel decided to stow the fruit between the boards of the pier.  Won't the critter be surprised when it comes back to find its meal had rotted??  

  The persimmon wedged in the pier boards may be a sign that the critters think this is going to be a cold winter.  Usually, when the little female squirrels store a lot of food, they have an inkling that it may be needed later on in the season.  I have noticed that most of this food storage is done by the females.  They work hard at gathering and hiding fruits, seeds and nuts.   The sad part is, most of the time, a male squirrel goes right behind her and eats what she has stored.  The male squirrels are lazy and would rather dine upon what the little female has picked.  Poor little female has to work doubly hard to gather and store enough to last the winter due to the raids of the male.  If she is burying persimmons, she may come back later to find she only has seeds to eat.  The soft pulp is not going to do well in storage!  Hmmm, I am glad I make my persimmons into jam.

They Are At It Again!

  Those silly raccoons are at it again.  I have to give it to them...they are resourceful rascals.  Eating out of the compost, bird feeders and cat's bowl is not enough.  Obviously, the coons are still hungry after filling their bellies with handouts so they have to raid the fruit trees.  Nary a pear hangs on the four trees now.  For two nights in a row, the varmints climbed the trees and gnawed on pears.  Now, I have none.  Perhaps I need to get better at defending my trees against these marauders but I am just not sure how to go about it.  Perhaps the rascals need to stop being so cute then I would not hesitate to set traps.  Nah...probably would not even then.  At least, they have no more pears to eat this year!

  This morning, however, I found that the raiding rascals found another food source.  The wild persimmon trees took a massive hit last night.  I have seen two baby raccoons running around the yard lately but this looks more like the work of the entire family!  Persimmons littered the ground and most were already covered in ants.  Only a few remain in the trees and those are far too green for me to eat.  I guess the raccoons will feast upon those as well.

  Of those on the ground, I did manage to rescue three persimmons to use in my winter weather forecasting.  Once these ripen to golden mushiness, I will savor the fruit and slice the seeds.  So far, the seeds have done a rather good job at predicting our winters and it would be great to know what is in store with the forthcoming season.  Thanks to the coons clumsiness, I have three....three chances at seeing how much firewood will be needed to heat the Little Bayou House.  Thanks for being so generous, Silly Coons!

The Faux Flower

  While out walking PJ for his last run of the day, I noticed what looked like a lovely flower on the ground.  Hmm?  This was not some easily recognizable blossom.  I thought that I was, at least, basically familiar with all of the blooms around the hillside, yet, here was one that I did not know!  This called for a bit of closer observation.  Not wanting to "uproot" some ground cover bloom, I knelt near the object.  It was then that I realized the old woman's eyesight was far worse that she knew! What my eyes saw as a bloom was nothing more than the stem cap from a wild persimmon.  I should have realized this from the get-go since I have seen these a thousand times before. In my defense, however, none of the previous stem caps have ever had the rich colors of this one.  Instead of being either the bright green of an unripe fruit or the dried brown of a luscious ripe persimmon, this was tri-colored.  The center was a rusty red, surrounded by a autumn gold and then edged with cool blue.  The "petals" were highlighted with a deep brown!  It sure resembled a flower!

  Once I realized that what my unknown bloom was, I started searching the branches for the first few ripe persimmons.  None were ready, yet. This is understandable since we need a frost to fully sweeten the fruits to their tasty deliciousness!  Had I snacked on one today, my mouth would have puckered and I would have instantly regretted my hastiness. 

  The "flower" was obviously discarded by a raccoon that had raided the tree last night.  For some odd reason, the tartness and astringency of the unripe persimmons does not seem to effect the critters as much as it does humans.  We lean towards taste over nutrition.  The raccoon knew that the persimmons would provide a nutritious meal.  I just hope he grows tired of eating persimmons before he totally clears my tree! I would love to have a few as a snack come this winter.  In the meantime, I will enjoy the raccoon's castoff "flowers" and maybe sip a cup of persimmon leaf tea while I wait for a frost!

Have I Been Duped?

  Once again, I spent a good ten minutes of my morning splitting persimmon seeds.  There was a little "madness in my methods" since I was checking the weather forecast for the coming winter.  My trial of the seeds is still being processed.  Question???  Can persimmon seeds predict the severity of winter?  I am still pondering the fact.  

  According to the Old Timers around the area, if you slice a seed and find the image of a fork, the winter will be mild.  If you come across a knife, the weather will prove to be stabbing cold.  A spoon, on the other hand, will see you shoveling snow or, at best down here, having a dusting of powder or perhaps sleet.  For the past couple of years, I tested.  Knives and spoons seem to be the most prominent symbol in the seeds that I have tested over the years.  Ice and snow!  Well, that did work out a couple of times with ice storms.  Forks were not often present but warm winters are almost the rule down here.  

  I am thinking that perhaps this system is purely a myth and the Old Timers who keep swearing by it, are fudging a bit on their finds.  When I cut the seeds today, I found spoons....lots and lots of spoons. Mark and I mulled over the discovery.  Should we lay in an extra cord or two of firewood and perhaps weatherize the windows?  Perhaps an investment of some more blankets would be prudent?  Spoons...lots of spoons! Bring on the snow!  Or have I just been duped by a couple of old geezers who were pulling my leg?

Just an idea!

  The Blue Jays were stirring up a ruckus this afternoon just before sunset.  I figured that a snake had made its way up into the old oak tree and was trying to catch a nap but could find no peace.  I pulled on my shoes and headed down to the Bayou's edge to take a gander.  Sure enough, a chicken snake was slipping along the rough limbs of the live oak and the jays were not happy, to say the least.  I watched for a few moments and then decided to let the snake fend for itself.  Since it was a nice large one of about five feet in length, is should have no problem dealing with the irritating birds.  My attention had been pulled in another direction.

  Just past the snaky tree, the wild persimmon trees were loaded with the slightly ripening fruit.  Dozens of the pale orange blobs had been knocked to the ground by the marauding coons and possums.  None were quite ripe enough to eat but it would not be long before I can have a snack while hiking!  At least, I can if the critters leave me any!  

  A thought occurred while I was peering at the persimmons.  These are the tiny, wild persimmons and I have not done much with them other than sneaking a handful now and again.  What if I picked them now before the critters ate them all?  Would they ripen like their larger cousins?  The large cultivated persimmons will ripen on a sunny window ledge, will these?  I figure that I need to try.  I miss having the large persimmons from the farm and then later from my Aunt and Uncle's place.  I miss persimmon jam and jelly.  I miss persimmon shortcake.  I miss persimmon cookies.  

  Yep, I think Son and I will head down tomorrow and harvest a bucketful of the little gold nuggets and give this a try!  Free food is always good and wild persimmons are just that...free food...deliciously sweet, free food!

Finding Fall!

  I fully enjoy looking at photographs of the lovely colors of fall.  I admire the bright colors of the leaves, frost covering hayfields and even the dried grasses.  I do enjoy the photographs.  That is about the only way I can view these things.  (Frost makes an appearance in winter but not fall.)  Here it is a rare occurrence to find bright red, orange and yellow leaves.  Popcorn trees or maples try their best and the Black Gums do occasionally pop a few red leaves just for show but most trees never even attempt the feat.  We have to be satisfied with whatever few colors we get.

  Today, however, I found fall!  While most folks are well on their way to winter, I found the Deep South's version of fall leaves.  I took Ms. Ez and her hurt foot out for a leisurely stroll about the hillside.  The old dog is getting stiff from being lazy so I figured a walk would do her good.  We wandered down along the marsh edge and then to the wild persimmon tree.  I ALWAYS have to meander past this tree!  As I grabbed a dozen or so of the little orange blobs, a bit of yellow caught my eye!  FALL LEAVES!  Yep, the young persimmon saplings that I have been saving, presented me with a lovely show!  Sure, it is only yellow but at least they are pretty! From where I stood, the six or seven young trees were framed by two oak trees.  The path to the trees looked so inviting that Ms. Ez and I immediately decided to change course and head that way.  What a peaceful little nook this was!  These particular trees, although only about a hundred feet from the house, were completely blocked from view.  I would have never seen them had it not been for my hankering for the tasty persimmons.

  According to the weather reports, we are going to jump right into winter here in a few weeks.  The Bayou is to be on the tail end of a cold front that is going to sweep down from our neighbors to the north.  I will be spending the rest of this week and the first part of next preparing the garden and greenhouse for the cold snap.  A stockpile of firewood is ready with more on the way.  It should be interesting to have cooler nights this early in the year.  Ponder..ponder...could those persimmon seeds be right?  Are their weather predictions holding true for a cold, wet (aka snowy) winter?  Regardless, I did get a sighting of fall thanks to the persimmon trees!

 

A New Use!

Last month, the little wild persimmon tree had tons of the bright orange fruits dangling from its branches.  With every walk to the marsh edge, I would grab a handful of them to munch on my hike.  I picked bowls full of the tiny, quarter sized fruit and carried them into the kitchen so I could eat them at my will.  I love the things!  These are not the large, cultivated things that are almost overly sweet but rather the semi-tart wild cousins that grow freely in the woods around the Little Bayou House. I grew up with both types readily available and always preferred the wild ones.  The only drawback to these is the fact that they are loaded with penny sized seeds.  AND these seeds are not mushy, soft ones like those in the cultivated persimmons.  These are hard!  For the whole month, I ate my share of the fruit.  The 'possums, coons, squirrels and birds took far more than I did!  Last week, only a few hung on the upper branches of the tree.

Now, I find evidence that the seeds must have been too large and hard for a lot of the critters as well.  The ground under the tree is littered with dropped persimmon seeds.  Next spring will see hundreds of the tiny saplings pushing through the sandy soil.  Some of these wee trees will be allowed to grow to maturity so that the cycle can continue.  The persimmon tree provides not only the delicious and healthy fruits, I also use the leaves.  I replenished my stock of the dried leaves to be used in making tisanes.  Back to those seeds, though!  I now find that I should have been roasting them and using them as a coffee extender!  Woohoo! The Wonder Tree just got better!  Now, don't fret!  I am NOT going to pick up the seeds are on the ground and "recycle" them.  (Although, I have read where there is some ridiculously expensive coffee that is made from seeds that have passed through the Civet.  NOPE, not going there at all!)  Next season, I will save the seeds from every persimmon that I eat!  Those will be dried and ground to add to my coffee grounds.  Hey, I am willing to try anything..almost..well, maybe not the Civet Coffee!

A Happy Discovery!

I was a bit worried that the raccoon was going to eat all of the persimmons before I was even going to taste one this season.  Every evening, the little rascal was up in the tree eating his fill.  Ms. Ez did her best to shoo him away.  He would scamper down into the marsh as if to say "You can't catch me!"  Late every afternoon, just before dusk, the scene would repeat itself.  I was hoping for a cool spell that would hasten the ripening of the fruit but that seems a bit too far-fetched at this early in the year.  Still, a few persimmons would be nice!  Again this evening, Ezzy chased the raccoon into the marsh and I checked the persimmons.  That little masked bandit had nibbled on each one that was nearly ripe...I nibbled on none!  After being disappointed and actually resigning to the fact that I might not taste a persimmon this fall, Ms. Ez and I continued our hike.  Behind the peach orchard, I spied something that looked a mite familiar!  There, beneath a sprawling oak tree, was a new persimmon sapling!  This must be the first year for it to bear fruit but it was simply loaded!  I am surprised that the raccoon has not found this tree!  This fruit was not ripe either but with several trees, I might be able to share with the raccoon.

I was in hopes of having a large cultivated persimmon tree by this time but with the critters eating everything in sight, I might have to forego any new fruit trees.  I fully understand their plight.  With all of the land around us being cleared for housing, the animals have no where else to go.  Their homes and food sources are being cleared along with the trees and underbrush.  The critters are homeless, scared and hungry.  My fruit trees and vegetable gardens have to look mighty inviting.  Michael and I are considering moving a few trees inside the Rose Garden where Ms. Ez will have a better chance at protecting the fruit.  He has ideas of enlarging the fenced area to be used strictly for gardens.  The raccoons, squirrels, deer and birds can all get over the fences but Ezzy will be more apt to scare them enough within an enclosed garden area.  Hopefully then, there will be plenty for all of us..critters and humans alike!

Mystery Solved!

I think the mystery of the missing Sawtooth Palmetto Dates has been solved!  Early this morning, I headed down the hill to burn a bit more of the hurricane debris.  As usual, Ms. Ez, the dog, followed dutifully along beside me.  She is never more than a few steps from me except if I tell her to chase the squirrels from the garden.  She will tear out at full speed until the squirrels scamper up a tree.  Then, there she sits..for hours.  This morning, however, there were no squirrels in the yard so she simply sat watching me rake the debris into piles.

Suddenly, there was a huge ruckus in the persimmon tree!  I turned just in time to see a raccoon plummet from the top of the small tree and scurry into the underbrush!  Aha!  That little rascal was munching my persimmons and I believe he is the culprit that stole my dates!  The raccoon appeared to be well fed so I am assuming that food is easy to find around in the gardens.  Michael and I left all of the withering vegetable plants to die naturally thus providing a bit of nutrients back into the soil.  There are a few peas, squash and peppers dangling on the plants. None of these appealed to us as dinner but for a hungry raccoon, they are perfect pickings as are the table scraps in the compost pile! I suppose the dates and persimmons are dessert!

When the raccoon dropped out the tree, Ezzy leapt to her feet and started growling.  She so wanted to chase down that critter but her loyalty to me kept her by my side.  She danced a bit and growled a bit before looking at me anxiously.  GO!  She was off like a shot!  The raccoon barreled through the undergrowth to get to the first tree available. Ms. Ez took her position under the tree and kept watch.  That raccoon had no choice but to stay put in his precarious position in the tree!  Once Ezzy had treed the coon, I ambled over to check out my persimmons.  All of the near-ripe ones were scattered about under the tree.  Most had just a nibble out of them and were discarded.  I suppose the astringent quality of the unripe fruit was not to the raccoon's liking!  I am hoping the raccoon will decide that the persimmons are not worth the effort and that dealing with Ezzy is not something he wants to do on a daily basis.  Perhaps then, I will get a few of the fruit for a nice persimmon shortbread!  GO AWAY, RACCOON!  GO AWAY!

My muwth ith pugger dup!

My muwth ith pugger dup!......Translation..My mouth is puckered up! Ha! Anyone who knows me will realize right off what this is all about! I could not wait any longer. I had to eat a persimmon! I should have known better as I do this almost every year but the raccoons were getting my little wild persimmons on a nightly basis. I was so sure that I would not get to taste any of the succulent little jewels that on today's hike, I could not resist! I plucked the softest, reddest fruit that I could find and wiped it on my shirt! This little beauty was perfect! The sweetness was there (even though a frost would have nearly turned the fruit to sugar!) I popped the little orb into my mouth! Ahhhh, now that was delicious! For anyone that has never eaten fruit straight off the tree..you do not know what you are missing! There is no comparison to the grocer's stuff that has been in storage for months. This is the best way to enjoy any fruit! Of course, there were the multitude of huge seeds that had to be removed at some point and there is just no dainty way of doing that! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the little bite so much that I scanned the tree for another! The rest seemed to be a little too green..a little too "unripe"! I pulled another from a low branch. Ok, so this one is not soft..it is not red. It was still quite firm..not the squishy ripeness that I knew meant a sweet fruit. Still..my mouth watered! I was determined to eat another persimmon! I broke this one open and peered at it for a few minutes..trying to build up enough nerve to eat this not so ripe globe! Well..I try to never waste anything and I did already pick this one..so, into the mouth it went! At first, it seemed as if this was going to be ok. Sure, it was not as sweet and juicy as the other but it was not bad. I pulled out the seeds (I told you that there was not a dainty, polite way of eating the little wild persimmons!) Well now..dat wuwth nod ath bad ath I tought! Oh, yes it was! This little unripe persimmon was making my mouth pucker up quicker than a spoonful of alum! I am not sure what it is but there is something in unripe persimmons that just does not agree with free speech! Oh, how I regretted my decision to eat that thing! I tried to rid my mouth of any remnants of the persimmon but there were none to remove. It was all my imagination that my mouth now felt like it was packed with the driest cotton ever! Aacck! I will never be able to speak again! I will from this point on, walk around with my mouth puckered up like a fish! I would have to eat all my meals through a straw! Help! ..... After a short while, the effects of the unripe persimmon began to wear off and I was ok again. And a little wiser, I would hope! Until next year, when I get impatient and decide that the raccoons and 'possums were getting my share of the fruit!

The large seeds in a ripe wild persimmon!

And now...a bit of Bayou Art! I was asked to paint a few little gourds to be used as ornaments! These were to be like some that I had given my sister last year as a Christmas gift. I paint these tiny gourds to look like whimsical Bayou Critters. So out came the paints and the imagination soared again! Three tiny gourds soon became happy, little owls! I am pleased at the outcome and hope the sweet lady that wanted them will enjoy them for years to come!

Fall..or falling!

I discovered a new fact this morning..when you get older, you do not sprain your ankle when falling in an armadillo hole! I thought I might share this with any who are thinking of growing old or those like me who did not think about it at all..it just happened. Yes, you read it right..you do not sprain your ankle..I think you sprain every part of your body! Yesterday afternoon, I was picking persimmons at my uncle's house and not paying attention as to where I was putting my feet. Those beautiful orange globes were demanding that I look straight at them and not the ground. Under this particular tree there was quite a bit of tall grass that had lain over making a perfect carpet. This carpeting was hiding several large holes that were the perfect size for my foot. I reached for a beautiful persimmon near the top of the tree..ahh got it! I stepped back and down I went. I tumbled forward, hit my knee, rolled to the side and caught myself with my left hand. Through all of this, I can proudly say that I never dropped my prize! The soft ripe fruit remained intact in my right hand! All was good! Not so this morning, though. Ms. Put woke me at 5 Am with.."I need to go outside..NOW!" I hopped out of bed and..OWWW!..fell back over. Pain shot through the ankle..Oh my!..I gingerly stood again..Ok, that was better..if I took it real slow and easy the ankle did not hurt as bad. Step..OWW! The left knee let out a loud "POP"! Knees are not supposed to pop! I bent over to rub the knee..OWW!..the left shoulder let me know that it too was sore. My, oh, my! Ms. Put looked a mite miffed by this time and wandered into the laundry room to her litter box. I hobbled, stumbled and limped my way to the kitchen where the bushel of persimmons sat in the corner. It had to be my imagination but I thought I heard them snicker at me! I will show them..tomorrow they will become persimmon jam!

We are in the middle of another dry spell here on the Bayou so I had to take the hose to the flower gardens. Not much is left other than the Blackeyed Susans, Marigolds and Wild Ageratums . The purple of the Ageratums is one of my favorites of this time of year. I remember it growing wild on the fence rows in the cornfields when I was a kid. It never failed to thrill me to see this and the yellow "ditch" daisies blooming as they both were wonderful lures for the butterflies and hummingbirds. My dad would never allow weeds in any of his gardens, but now I just let these to grow where they will in my yard. I suppose that I am not a neat gardener since these..umm.."wildflowers" make their home right along side of any flowers that I might have seeded. Still, I like them..they make a statement in the flower beds..even if that statement is that I do not like weeding!

Persimmons!

Oh, the beauty of these golden globes of goodness! Persimmons! I did not think that after the raccoon visits, I would even taste a persimmon this year. I was ever so wrong! I was given some of the most gorgeous persimmons ever! These are ripe to the point of persimmon mushiness and are a translucent orange. These are not the small wild fruit that grow on my tree, but are the large Japanese variety. Whereas the wild type only get about the size of a walnut, the cultivated ones can get to about the size of an orange. One lovely little surprise about a persimmon is the "flower" that hides inside! If you cut the fruit in half crosswise from the stem end the layers form a beautiful "daisy" pattern. Or maybe that is just my imagination!

Now, I admit that I am not overly fond of eating persimmons just as they are (except when I can sneak one straight from the tree when no one is looking!), but I do love cooking with them. There are so many possibilities! Persimmon muffins, shortcake, jam, cookies and yes, even a persimmon pie. Today, I stuck with two favorites, the muffins and shortcake. The muffins are pretty easy and straightforward, just follow any recipe for a spice-type muffin and add about two cups of (peeled) mashed persimmon pulp. The shortcake recipe was my aunt's. Aunt Marie could turn out some of the most delectable delights to ever come from a kitchen. I remember visiting there and just wanting to live in her kitchen..ahh..the aromas that would fill the air. This shortcake recipe would appear at any given time filled with whatever fruit might be in season. It was sheer delight to be on the receiving end of any goody that she baked, but this has to be one of my favorites. Try as I might, mine never seem to turn out as delicious as I remember hers. I think I just lack "the touch".

Aunt Marie's Persimmon Shortcake

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg (beaten)

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

filling:

4 large persimmons (peeled and sliced)

4 cups whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sift all of the dry ingredients together, cut in the butter until the mixture has a coarse texture. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix well. The dough will be quite stiff resembling a biscuit dough. Pat this into a well greased 8 inch bake pan and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Split the cake into two layers using a knife or thread and place one layer cut side up on serving plate. Butter this layer and then cover with a layer of persimmons. Place a layer of whipped cream on top of the fruit and then place the remaining layer of cake on top with the cut side down. Cover this layer with more fruit then whipped cream.

This shortcake can be used with any fruit that is your favorite! It is incredibly easy but at the same time fantastically delicious.