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These Persimmon Almond Rosette Tarts are mouth-wateringly delicious; they have a crunchy, buttery tart dough with fragipane (a quick almond cream) that bakes up soft and fluffy and topped with sliver thin persimmons.
Pity the poor persimmon. Continuously overlooked in the produce aisle, overshadowed by flashier, more familiar, more accessible fruits. Misunderstood, underutilized, and all too often ignored. Persimmons, like Rodney Dangerfield, just can’t get no respect. Isn’t it time to change all that?
I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t always been on the persimmon love train. My first experience was with Hachiya persimmons, which are a little unusual in that they have to be fully soft and ripe before you eat them. Make the mistake of biting into a Hachiya persimmon when it’s still a bit firm, and you’ll be left with a dry, bitter, astringent taste in your mouth and a bit of a grudge against the entire persimmon family. Not like I’m speaking from experience, or anything…
However, once you get the hang of eating Hachiya persimmons, they’re lovely. And the persimmon fun doesn’t stop there! Other types of persimmons, like the Fuyu variety used in this recipe, aren’t nearly so finicky—they can be enjoyed at varying stages of ripeness, so they’re perfect for slicing and dicing and arranging into a gorgeous rosette tart.
We were recently gifted with a box of persimmons from a friend, and after trying and failing to get my family to eat them raw (boys!), I decided to bake with them instead. I’ve seen persimmon breads and cookies before, but I really wanted something that would show off the gorgeous, burnt-orange color of the persimmons that seems so perfect for this fall season. Thus, these persimmon almond rosette tarts were born!
They start with a crunchy, buttery tart dough made with ground almonds. Then, they’re filled with fragipane, a quick almond cream that bakes up soft and fluffy. The frangipane is partially baked, then the paper-thin persimmon slices are layered on top in concentric circles to form a beautiful blooming rosette. Finally, the tarts are baked once more, just to fully cook the almond layer and to soften the persimmons a bit.
I originally finished the tarts with a simple drizzle of honey, but halfway through photographing (and eating!) them, I thought they needed something more—so I added a scattering of pomegranate arils on top. It’s definitely optional, but I think they add to the beauty, and the little tart bursts of juice you get when you bite into them are the perfect touch.
Sorry, Hachiya, but I think my heart belongs to Fuyu persimmons now, because I am utterly smitten with this tart. The crunchy crust, fluffy almond filling, slightly soft and sweet fruit, and touch of honey are so nicely balanced. It’s a beautiful, delicious autumn dessert that’s a nice change from the usual pumpkin-palooza, and I think it would be a great nontraditional Thanksgiving choice as well.
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Persimmon Almond Rosette Tarts
Ingredients
For the Tart Dough:
- 5 1/3 oz all-purpose flour, (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 oz finely ground almonds, (1/4 cup)
- 2 oz powdered sugar, (1/2 cup)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 oz cold unsalted butter
- 1 large egg yolk
For the Filling:
- 2 1/2 oz unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 oz powdered sugar, (2/3 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 oz finely ground almonds, (2/3 cup)
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 10 Fuyu persimmons
- 1/4 cup honey
- Pomegranate arils, optional
Instructions
To Make the Tart Dough:
- Place the finely ground almonds, flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse briefly until everything is well-blended. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until it is in small pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and pulse in long 5-second bursts until the dough starts clumping together.
- Turn the dough out of the food processor and knead it lightly several times to incorporate any extra flour. At this point, the dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for several days. If you’re ready to use it now, spray five 6-inch tart shells with removable bottoms, and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
- Press the dough in an even layer into the bottom and sides of the pans. Freeze the shells for 30 minutes, and while they are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the tops of the tart dough with nonstick spray, then press a sheet of foil onto each shell, shiny side down, and fill the foils with dry beans, rice, or pie weights.
- Bake the tart shells for 15 minutes, until the sides start to take on a little color and the center no longer looks raw, then carefully remove the foil and weights. Allow to cool before adding the filling.
To Assemble the Tarts:
- Combine the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the egg, almonds, flour, salt, and almond extract, and blend in long pulses until well-combined.
- Scoop two big spoonfuls of the almond mixture into the bottom of each par-baked tart shell, and spread it into an even layer. Bake the tarts at 375 F for 12-15 minutes, until it is just starting to set. It shouldn’t take on any color, and should still be quite soft.
- Slice the tops off of the persimmons. Use a very sharp chef’s knife or a mandolin to slice the persimmons into paper-thin slices. Arrange them in a rosette shape in the tart shells by starting at the outside edge and placing the slices in concentric circles, pressing down slightly to embed them into the almond layer. Overlap the persimmon pieces slightly as you go around, continuing until the entire top of the tart is filled. Repeat with remaining tarts.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 F, and bake the tarts for a final 10-15 minutes, until the almond filling is puffed and set, and the persimmon slices have softened but are not leathery or hard. Drizzle each tart with a spoonful of honey to serve, and if desired, top with a few pomegranate arils.
- These tarts are best the day they are made—the moisture from the persimmons will make them soggy eventually. The tart dough and the almond filling can both be made in advance and kept for several days in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the tarts.
MEASURING TIPS
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
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Persimmon is called Caqui here in Spain but to be honest I’m not fond of it.. They taste weird to me (sorry just being honest) but and there’s always a but..These tartlets look damn fine!! Happy weekend! xoxo
Haha, no offense here! I get it! They’d also be good with apple slices for the persimmon-adverse. Thanks Johlene!
Beautiful! I love how the pomegranate arils look like dewdrops 😉
Thank you Allie! Love that poetic imagery. 🙂
Wow these roses are beautiful! Decorating them with pomegranate is such a great idea! Looks like red dew.
Thank you Medeja! Pomegranates are my new secret weapon to styling food. 🙂
OMG those are absolutely gorgeous! I’ve sadly never tried persimmons…but I think I’ll have to give them some respect now. Wow. Love the addition of pomegranate seeds, they’re like little jewels 🙂
Thanks June! Persimmons are kind of weirdos in the fruit world, so please don’t blame me if you don’t like them, but definitely give them a try! They’re kind of fun to bake with. 🙂
I looove them!! They are so super beautiful like all of your ideas and creations! I really love it 🙂
Thanks so much, Margo!
So pretty!! Is it wrong that I want to frame these tarts rather than eat them?!
Yes, so wrong! I mean, thank you, but I am a firm believer that tarts are for eating. 🙂
These are absolutely beautiful! The pomegranate definitely adds a lovely delicate touch 🙂
Thanks so much, Kathleen! I’m going to keep a pom around from now on, just in case there are future dessert emergencies.
My goodness Elizabeth – those are so gorgeous, I couldn’t possibly eat them! They’re like art that needs to be awed and admired! Totally pinned=multiple boards!
Thanks Kristi, but you’re doing it wrong! Tarts are always for eating. 🙂
I love fuyu persimmons and this is a beautiful way to showcase them! Thanks for the great idea.
Thanks Ember! I’m kind of obsessed with baking with them now!
Oh my goodness. These are gorgeous! I grew up on persimmons and I love the sweetness and texture. Very very beautiful work.
Thanks Linda! So jealous you got to eat them all growing up–I was a persimmon late comer and feel like I was missing out!
How did you slice the persimmons? On the side or from the top or bottom? Did you cut out the seeds? I’m making these this Friday and I’m super excited.
Hi Jennifer, I sliced the top of the persimmons off first, and then thinly sliced from top to bottom. Because the slices are so thin, the seeds sort of come out on their own!
You always make such pretty stuff! These are gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Jaclyn! I love your work as well!
Oh my gosh Elizabeth these are gorgeous!! I totally love them!! I’m guilty of not having much experience with persimmons. These need to happen!!
Thanks so much, Karen! I blame the persimmon for being so mysterious. 🙂
i agree! i’ve been trying to eat the less popular fruits. these look great!
Thanks Dina! Three cheers for the fruit nobodies!
OMG Elizabeth this is gorgeous! I am sure they are delicious but they are too pretty to eat. The pomegranate gives them the special touch. Thanks for this beautiful recipe
Thanks Tiffany! I didn’t have any problem eating them, myself. 😉
I love your description of eating an unripe Hachiya persimmon. I made that mistake two weeks ago, it was awful! I felt like I was chewing on chalk and wanted to scrape my tongue off with a napkin.
I’m with you though…Fuyu are wayyyy better!
Oh no, the Hachiya got you too! My sincerest sympathies…it’s a pretty nasty experience. Thanks for the kind words, Christina!
These are just the prettiest things ever! I’d love to think that I’ll make these one day, but I doubt it will ever actually happen (laaaaaazy). Pinning anyway, because I could look @ them all day.
Thanks Laurel! I pin tons of stuff I never plan on making, that’s one of the many beautiful things about Pinterest. 🙂
These are so, sooo beautiful!! And I’m impressed that you pulled out the term “arils” for those pomegranate seed-thingies. I never knew that’s what they were called. I’m baffled like when I learned what you call all the little tiny seeds inside the vanilla bean “caviar”. What normal people know these things? And you can bet I’m forgetting the term arils the second I click submit on this comment!
Well I didn’t know about vanilla caviar, so I think this has been a very effective mutual teaching session! Next week let’s share cake tips. 😉
hehe! never did i imagine hearing persimmons and rodney dangerfield in the same sentence… these are so pretty elizabeth! i agree, totally overlooked in north america! ^__^
Haha, every blog needs a touch of the ole R-Dang, right?
My neighbor Joe, the fellow who grew that box of persimmons, will be so tickled by your gorgeous–and delicious–tarts. Bravo, Elizabeth, for elevating the wallflower of fruits to stardom!
Thank you for the recipe. I made these today and they came out beautiful and taste amazing. I love the almond filling with the persimmon. They compliment each other well.
Thanks again
Michele, I’m so glad you made them and loved them! Thanks for the feedback!
Persimmons are my FAVORITE (hard to find, which I still don’t understand since they are apparently native to the area). How would you adjust if you were to make one big tart? I think the recipe can stay the same, but bake times would be different. Thoughts?
Hi Lilly, I haven’t tried it as one large tart but I suspect you’re right, that the quantities can stay the same. I know for sure that the tart dough recipe will make one 9″ tart. You’ll want to blind bake it for 25 minutes (instead of the 15 for mini tarts) before filling it. Beyond that, my guess would be that you’ll need a little extra time in the other baking steps, but I would start with the recommended amounts and go by visual cues to figure out when it’s done. I hope you love it–it’s such a fall favorite around my house!
Wow, these look incredible. Definitely going to try them as soon as persimmons are back in season here. In the meantime I included a link to your recipe on my round-up of creative cakes: http://www.shopbox.com/blog/creative-cake-ideas-for-your-bakery 🙂
Thanks Larissa! I appreciate the link love–and would love to know how they work for you if you give them a try!
Looks gorgeous! Can you suggest this recipe without eggs.
For the dough, you could use a pie dough which doesn’t typically contain egg. The filling is a little tougher, I would try using an egg replacer. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
For the ground almond measurements, are the cup measurements for when they are whole (pre-ground) or the amount of ground almond to be used? We do not have kitchen scale.
I am super excited to try these this week! My mom recently moved to a house with a mature persimmon tree and we have so many persimmons. We’ve already made fruit leathers, cookies, and persimmon salsa (super delicious), but these look gorgeous!
The measurement is for the amount of ground almond to use, so the correct amount is 2/3 cup of ground almonds! A mature persimmon tree sounds like a such a treat, glad you could use my recipe!
Hey really loved the way you have created them and please can u tell me what can i replace egg yolk and egg in the recipe with…. really wanna try this
I love persimmons in desserts and this recipe looks amazing. Thank you so much.
Hey Kaki, I am happy you found it! Persimmons are the best, you will have to let me know if you try it out. Thanks!
Looks Amazing! I love persimmons and will try this recipe for certain –though with gluten free adaptations.
Hey Saja, I would love to hear how it goes! Thanks so much!
These are beautiful! I’d love to try making them but need a gluten-free recipe?
Hey Sherri, I am thrilled to hear you think these are beautiful! Thank you! I haven’t made a gluten free version myself so I can’t say for sure how that would work out. If you end up giving it a try I would love to hear back as to how it went!
I have a very productive persimmon tree and needed a good way to use them. I made 6 tarts the size of pies. Each recipe makes two 8” pie size tarts. Then I gifted them to friends family and a church fall festival. I haven’t stopped getting compliments on these beautiful delicious tarts. I’ll be making more very soon Thank you for sharing this recipe
Hi Carol! I’m so happy to hear this, thank you for sharing!
Very beautiful display of Kaki,my favorite fruit. I have 3 trees & harvested about 2 to 300 pieces of fruit.. Am trying to share but only the Russians ,Spanish & Asians appreciate the delicious hard,sweet peachlike flavor. BTW they are super healthy raw & frozen in protein shakes….I have one every day! I tried an apple peeler & petals turned out way too thin,will try again w/ thicker slicer. Mushy Hachiyas(astrigents) don’t hold a candle to non-astigent Kaki-Fuyus
Hi Rose, thank you for your feedback. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Made it, loved it. I only had a single larger 9 inch diameter pan and I wasn’t able to get nice paper thin slices of persimmon, however I was more than happy with how my tart came out. The persimmon is slightly chewy but I actually really enjoy it this way. The almond crust and filling are delicious. I also forgot to add the honey but it is very tasty even without.
Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, it is one of my favorites! Thank you for your comment!
Can I use almond flour instead of ground almonds ?
Hi Taylor! You can definitely use almond flour instead of grinding the almonds. Almond flour is simply ground to a very fine texture so it will change the texture slightly but will still taste delish.