Auntie's Persimmon Cookies

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 14 min
Servings: 36
Yield: 36 servings

Description

These delicious cake-like cookies are very moist with a unique cinnamon flavor, a maple syrup glaze, and white chocolate frosting.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups persimmon pulp
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 green belt candy strips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening (such as Crisco®)
36 red candy-coated chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®)

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® nonstick baking mat.
2 Mash persimmon pulp in a small bowl and stir in baking soda to let mixture congeal.
3 Beat white sugar and 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a second bowl.
4 Mix egg into the persimmon mixture. Add persimmon mixture and flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to combine. Fold pecans and raisins into the batter.
5 Drop batter onto the prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop.
6 Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned and puffy, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks, about 30 minutes.
7 Mix confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl until maple glaze is smooth. Place a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack to catch the drips. Drizzle maple glaze onto the cookie tops using a spoon. Let set until glaze hardens, about 30 minutes.
8 Cut green belt candy into small leaf shapes using kitchen scissors. Combine white chocolate and shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl and melt in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes.
9 Drip some melted white chocolate over each cookie using a spoon. Place one red candy-coated chocolate piece in the middle of each cookie and add a green belt leaf to each side. Let set until frosting hardens, about 30 minutes.