An Easter Recipe with Claire Ptak
For Easter baker and food writer Claire Ptak, shared with us her dear friends Mustafa’s Iced Persimmon Brown Butter Cookie recipe.
"Mustafa loves cake and I love music and poetry so we became fast friends. This soft iced cake-like cookie was an experiment that he became obsessed with, so now whenever he is performing in London, I make sure they're on his rider".
Discover more of Claire’s recipes in her book Love is Pink Cake, available online and in stores.
MUSTAFA'S ICED PERSIMMON BROWN BUTTER COOKIES
Makes 12 large cookies
2 (400g) Very ripe, soft Hachiya persimmons (the acorn-shaped ones)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g (1 cup) soft light brown sugar
115g (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
300g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
For the icing:
80g (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
175g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
175g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g (3/4 cup) cream cheese
Bakers tip: Look for large, soft, almost translucent persimmons. In California we call them Hachiya but in England I have never seen this name used - Both the firmer, smaller, more rounded persimmons and these seem to be called Kaki. I find them here in Turkish food shops in the lead up to Christmas.
1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Use a sponne to scrape out the pulp of the persimmons, removing any seeds. Puree in a food procesor or press through a fine sieve. Measure out 300g 1(cup) of persimmon pulp and then combine with the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside to thicken. Reserve the remaining pulp in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to decorate.
3. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth before adding the persimmon pulp mixture, which will have set a little but don't worry.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add this to the persimmon mixture and beat until smooth. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour. This helps set the butter and thicken the mixture for scooping.
5. Scoop large spoonfuls (or use an ice cream scoop) onto your prepared baking sheets (you can also bake these in batches if you don't have enough trays or space in your oven.
6. Preheat the oven to 170C fan / 190C / 375F / gas mark 5, then remove the cookies from cookies from the fridge and bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and a slight impression remains when tapped with a finger. Leave to cool completely on the baking tray while you make the icing.
7. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to sizzle and foam. The white milk solids should settle to the bottom of the pan and start to turn golden brown (if it goes black, you have gone too far and must start again). Swirl the pan a few more times then remove from the heat to cool completely.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown butter, condensed milk, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat just until smooth (do not overbeat or it can become thin).
9. Spread the icing on the cooled cookies. Dollop a teaspoon of the remaining persimmon pulp over the top of each cookie. These are best eaten on the same day.
Photography: Maren Caruso
An easter recipe with claire ptak
For Easter baker and food writer Claire Ptak, shared with us her dear friends Mustafa’s Iced Persimmon Brown Butter Cookie recipe.
"Mustafa loves cake and I love music and poetry so we became fast friends. This soft iced cake-like cookie was an experiment that he became obsessed with, so now whenever he is performing in London, I make sure they're on his rider".
Discover more of Claire’s recipes in her book Love is Pink Cake, available online and in stores.
MUSTAFA'S ICED PERSIMMON BROWN BUTTER COOKIES
Makes 12 large cookies
2 (400g) Very ripe, soft Hachiya persimmons (the acorn-shaped ones)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g (1 cup) soft light brown sugar
115g (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
300g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
For the icing:
80g (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
175g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
175g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g (3/4 cup) cream cheese
Bakers tip: Look for large, soft, almost translucent persimmons. In California we call them Hachiya but in England I have never seen this name used - Both the firmer, smaller, more rounded persimmons and these seem to be called Kaki. I find them here in Turkish food shops in the lead up to Christmas.
1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Use a sponne to scrape out the pulp of the persimmons, removing any seeds. Puree in a food procesor or press through a fine sieve. Measure out 300g 1(cup) of persimmon pulp and then combine with the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside to thicken. Reserve the remaining pulp in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to decorate.
3. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth before adding the persimmon pulp mixture, which will have set a little but don't worry.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add this to the persimmon mixture and beat until smooth. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour. This helps set the butter and thicken the mixture for scooping.
5. Scoop large spoonfuls (or use an ice cream scoop) onto your prepared baking sheets (you can also bake these in batches if you don't have enough trays or space in your oven.
6. Preheat the oven to 170C fan / 190C / 375F / gas mark 5, then remove the cookies from cookies from the fridge and bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and a slight impression remains when tapped with a finger. Leave to cool completely on the baking tray while you make the icing.
7. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to sizzle and foam. The white milk solids should settle to the bottom of the pan and start to turn golden brown (if it goes black, you have gone too far and must start again). Swirl the pan a few more times then remove from the heat to cool completely.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown butter, condensed milk, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat just until smooth (do not overbeat or it can become thin).
9. Spread the icing on the cooled cookies. Dollop a teaspoon of the remaining persimmon pulp over the top of each cookie. These are best eaten on the same day.
Photography: Maren Caruso