Directions

Begin by making the vanilla pudding. (Make 2-3 hours ahead or day before) Measure 12 ounces or 1 ¾ cups of half and half into a small saucepan. Add the ½ cup of sugar. Whisk to combine. Measure the remaining 4 ounces or ¼ cup of half and half into a separate,

small bowl and add the 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk/ stir to combine. Set aside. (This is called a ‘slurry’ in culinary jargon. The cornstarch is ‘made wet’ by the half and half and will be easier to add to the heated cream, below.) Bring the pot of half and half to a bare simmer. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Stir the cream/cornstarch mixture again, (the ‘slurry’) and add to the pot. Whisk and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken and boil. Stir constantly and use a heatproof rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot. Mixture must come to a boil and cook for about 1 minute or more to thicken and for the cornstarch to properly do its job of binding the pudding. When satisfied with the thickness of the pudding, remove from heat and strain through a strainer into a clean bowl. Add the pinch of salt and the vanilla extract.

Note:

There is probably not a ¾ teaspoon measure on your set of measuring spoons. Problem solved by measuring both ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon amounts. Cover pudding with a sheet of plastic wrap, flush to the surface. This will prevent a ‘skin’ from forming on the pudding. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight to chill and firm up.

The Layers

persimmons: gently wash and dry the persimmons. Place stem-side-down on a cutting board and slice off about a ½--inch of the pointed end. Using a soup spoon, scrape out all the flesh. Use your hand to steady the persimmon while you do this. Scoop the flesh into the bowl of your food processor or blender. Continue until you have scraped the inside skins clean. Avoid cutting into the skin while you do this. Puree the flesh until completely smooth. Set aside. almonds: Toast the almonds on a sheet pan at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Set aside to cool. blackberries: Rinse the blackberries in a strainer and dry on a towel. Cut in half lengthwise and set aside.

granola: choose your favorite, but complementary flavor. chocolate chips: a darker, richer chocolate (60-75 % cacao) will balance the overall sweetness a bit Optional: crushed or pulverized cookie crumbs: I had some over-baked/stale ginger cookies on hand, so I broke them into pieces and pulverized them in the food processor. Alternately you could use graham crackers, vanilla wafers or chocolate wafers. A crisp cookie will work best.

Build the Parfaits

Choose 4 clear glass bowls or wine glasses. Or use one large glass bowl if you have one. Begin by spooning persimmon puree on the bottom. Use a spoon and try not to get any puree on the insides of the glass. Work clean and keep it tidy! I added vanilla pudding next. I used two layers of pudding per glass, so visually or manually divide the pudding into 8 equal amounts ( 2 layers, 4 glasses equals 8 portions). I added a layer of blackberries next and then granola on top of the berries. Another layer of vanilla pudding, then cookie crumbs, then sliced almonds and chocolate chips became my last and top layer. But…. build your parfaits, your way!