It’s about time that I posted an apple pie recipe on here, and this is a good one. In my opinion, this recipe is even better than a traditional apple pie. It’s more persimmon than apple, but with the same spices and flavors that we all know and love. With a flaky crust and a beautifully soft and flavorful filling, this pie may be your new fall favorite.
My mom’s coworker gifted us with a big box of persimmons earlier this month. There were too many for us to go through if we just tried to eat them raw, so I decided I’d try to find a recipe that would use them before they went bad.
What are persimmons?
I truly think persimmons are an underrated fall fruit, especially here in the US. They’ve been cultivated in parts of Asia for many years, and even popular now in parts of Europe. There are two common types of persimmons: fuyu and hachiya. For this recipe, you’ll want ripe and firm fuyu persimmons. They’re crisp and sweet, and they almost taste slightly like cinnamon. It looks similar to a tomato: a squat fruit with a red-orange color. To prepare them for this pie, you’ll just need to cut the leaves, wash and peel, and slice.
I used a mandoline to cut the apple and persimmons because I like the texture of thinly sliced fruit in the filling. You can go ahead and just slice it with a very sharp knife instead. You can also change the ratio of apples and persimmons if you want. The apples help to add a different texture and sweetness that works perfectly with the soft persimmons.
For the crust recipe, it should make enough for one pie with a lattice top. It’s my favorite and actually the same crust that I made for the Halloween meat pies. It’s the perfect flaky crust for this filling. You can make it up to 2 days ahead. Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it!
Now get to the grocery store and find some persimmons! This pie is perfect to make for Friendsgiving or just to enjoy while getting cozy this autumn. Delicious with ice cream or on it’s own. You may never go back to regular apple pie again.
Persimmon & Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 15 tbsp unsalted butter (cold and cut into pieces)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/3 cup ice water (plus a little more, if needed)
- 1 egg
For the filling:
- 1-2 medium-large apple
- 5-6 fuyu persimmons
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
Make the pie crust:
- In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, salt, and sugar. Pulse until mixture is crumbly and butter is broken up into pea-sized bits.
- Pour ice water into the machine and pulse a couple of times, until the dough is evenly moist. Do not overmix (you do not want the dough to form into a ball in the machine). If needed, add another tablespoon of water.
- Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disc, wrap with the plastic, and place in the fridge. Let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Make the filling:
- Peel and core your apple and persimmons. Cut into quarters and then slice with a mandoline.
- In a large mixing bowl, place your fruit. Add your sugars, lemon juice, and spices. Toss everything together using a spoon or your hands until the fruit slices are evenly coated. Set aside for 15-30 minutes.
Assemble the pie:
- Preheat your oven to 400° F. While you are letting your fruit soak, roll your pie crust out on a floured surface, until about 1/8-inch thick.
- Transfer rolled dough into a 9-inch pan, leaving a slight overhang. Pinch the dough and flute the edges (use your thumb and pointer finger on one hand, and pointer finger knuckle on the other). Place in the freezer to chill until the filling is done. Put the rest of your dough in the fridge until you need to create the lattice top.
- Once your fruit is done soaking, pour it into your pie crust shell (there should be a mound in the middle).
- Roll out the rest of the pie crust dough and cut into 1-inch strips. Create a lattice on the top of the pie by weaving the dough strips. Add any decorations you may want (I used a heart cookie cutter to make flower petals and braided one strip).
- Whisk your egg. Brush top and edges with the egg wash. You may want to brush the bottom of your decorations to make them stick.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, rotate your pie, and then lower the temp to 375°F and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Your pie is done when the top is a deep golden brown color, your fruit is soft, and your filling is hot and bubbly.
- Cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Serve warm and enjoy!
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