For a winter version of this traditional French cake, I found that persimmons were simply perfect. I would say that persimmons are still an “acquired” taste in France though. They don’t fit in the classic fruits section, nor are they a winter favourite, like they can be in North America. Nonetheless, they work perfectly in a tatin cake. 

I used Fuyu persimmons, which are easy to work with. In comparison to Hachiya (the other kind of persimmons), Fuyus are squat and round and much less astringent, which mean they can be enjoyed even if not fully ripe. Because we’re not pre-cooking the persimmons for this recipe (we are just slicing them raw and laying them at the bottom of the pan), you definitly want to opt for Fuyu persimmons, over Hachiya.

Fuyu persimmons are soft and sweet to start with, and they caramelize deliciously during the baking process. They work perfectly atop this subtly-spiced maple syrup cake batter. 

After baking a tatin cake, the “flip” is always a bit stressful. You have to be fast, and just go for it. But I find that this is also what makes the baking of a tatin so exciting. And by the way, I actually enjoy when my tatin cake has some slightly burnt edges. It adds some delicious toffee notes and a nice crispness all around…

I like to enjoy my tatin cake warm (especially in the winter) – sometimes with a dollop of crème fraiche on top. 

If you try this Maple Persimmon Tatin Cake recipe, let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram tagging @pardonyourfrench or using #pardonyourfrench. I’d love to see what you come up with.  

Bon Appétit!

Maple Persimmon Tatin Cake

Print Recipe

Serves: 1 cake Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons real maple syrup (if you’re frugal, you can opt for Golden Syrup).
1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine table salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg at room temperature
1 large egg yolk at room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 big (or 3 medium size) fuyu persimmons, cut into slices parallel to the equator, about 1/4-inch thick

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

In a small sauce pan, over low heat, melt 2 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Let them melt together, and remove from heat as soon as they are melted (do not let them bubble).

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a big mixing bowl, beat the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter with 1 cup of maple syrup until they are thoroughly combined and smooth. With a spatula, scrape down the bowl. Add in the whole egg and egg yolk, and mix well until all incorporated.

Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until barely incorporated. Add in the buttermilk and beat again until just incorporated. Add the rest of the flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. The batter should be smooth, and not too thick.

When your oven is preheated, pour the maple butter mixture to the bottom of a 10-inch cake pan and swirl it all around, to make sure the whole bottom of the pan is evenly coated.

Slice up your persimmons into ¼-inch circles. Set one slice of persimmon in the middle of the pan, and lay the other circles all around ( in a concentric circles, overlapping them slighly to cover the entire pan). 

Pour the batter over the persimmons, and smooth out the surface with a spatula.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, rotating the pan about 20 minutes into baking. Remove from the oven when the cake is lightly browned.

Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes (Not more! If you wait too long, the caramel at the bottom of the pan will set and the fruit will stick to the bottom). Loosen the sides of the cake with a butter knife.

Wearing oven mitts, place a serving plate inverted on top of the pan, flip the cake over and remove the pan gently. (If a few slices still stick to the bottom of the pan, peel them gently and replace them where they were supposed to be on the cake). Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes (for the fruits to set atop), before enjoying.

If you like French-style tatin cake, try this one too. 

The post Maple Persimmon Tatin Cake appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Simply put, Christmas in France wouldn’t be Christmas without Foie Gras. (and yes, ethical debates around the making of Foie Gras do resurface every year in France before Christmas – but Foie Gras still is, and remains a staple).

This sweet and salty festive toast combines three of the classic ingredients you will find on a French Christmas table: foie gras, spice bread and seasonal persimmons. Persimmon (know in French as “kaki”) brings a soft and fleshy texture to this classic toast. Marinated with spices, citrus zest and port wine, this spiced persimmon chutney brings subtle heat and tanginess to the warmth of the spice bread and the creaminess of the foie gras.

Cooking notes:

• For one of my favorite spiced bread recipe, click here. 
• You can buy some good-quality canned fois gras online here and here.  

If you try this Spiced Persimmon Chutney on Foie Gras Toasts, let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram tagging @pardonyourfrench or using #pardonyourfrench. I’d love to see what you come up with.  

Bon Appétit!

Spiced Persimmon Chutney on Foie Gras Toasts

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 people Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 ripe persimmon
• ½ loaf of spice bread, cut into 8 slices
• 120g of canned foie gras
• Zest of ½ an orange.
• ½ tbsp white port wine
• ½ tsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 pinch of Sechuan pepper (4-5 peppercorns)
• 1 pinch of Espelette peper (or smoked paprika)

Instructions

Prepare the spiced persimmon chutney - In a bowl, mix the sugar, white port wine, white vinegar, sechuan pepper and orange zest. Slice and cube the persimmon (small ¼” cubes). Add the cubes into the chutney mix and set aside for 10 minutes.

Right before serving - toast the spice bread slices, delicately slice the foie gras and place 1 slice of foie gras on each slice of spice bread. Pour 2 tablespoons of chutney on top of each slice and sprinkle lightly with espelette pepper (or smoked paprika). Serve immediately.

This recipe is translated and adapted from Madame Cuisine. 

The post Spiced Persimmon Chutney on Foie Gras Toasts appeared first on Pardon Your French.