Sweet Persimmon Delights: A Traditional Chuseok Dessert
Crafting Delightful Persimmon Delights with Filled Hearts for Chuseok
After enjoying the festive Chuseok meal, let’s create a sweet dessert to accompany your rice wine (Sikhye). These delightful persimmon pockets offer a perfect blend of chewy dried persimmon and crunchy nuts, making them a sophisticated treat.
Ingredients
- 5 semi-dried persimmons (Gotgam)
- 5 Tbsp pine nuts
- 15 candied walnuts (Hodu Jeonggwa)
- 4 red dates (Daecho)
- 5 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 5 Tbsp citron preserves (Yuja Cheong)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the dried persimmons. Semi-dried persimmons are ideal for this recipe as they have the perfect chewy texture and are easy to fill without tearing.
Step 2
Carefully cut off the stem end of each persimmon with scissors. This will create an opening to insert the filling.
Step 3
If there are any seeds inside the persimmons, gently remove them. Then, gently press and smooth out the wrinkles on the persimmons. This step helps prevent the persimmon from tearing when you add the filling.
Step 4
You’ll need candied walnuts for the filling. If making them from scratch: 1. Blanch 150g of walnuts in boiling water for 3 minutes. 2. Pat them completely dry with paper towels. 3. Toast the walnuts over low heat in a dry pan until any remaining moisture evaporates. 4. Keep the heat on low and stir in 5 Tbsp of rice syrup (oligosaccharide) until the walnuts are coated. 5. Bake in an oven or air fryer at 150°C (160°C) for 5-10 minutes, ensuring they are spread out to prevent sticking. (Alternatively, you can use store-bought candied walnuts.)
Step 5
Chop the candied walnuts into smaller pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the pine nuts, thinly sliced red dates, citron preserves, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix everything together thoroughly with a spoon until well combined.
Step 6
Your delicious filling is ready! If making candied walnuts seems too time-consuming, you can substitute them with finely chopped mixed nuts or ‘하루견과’ (a Korean daily nut mix). However, using candied walnuts provides a wonderfully crunchy texture that elevates the overall taste.
Step 7
Carefully spoon the prepared filling into the opening of each persimmon. Pack the filling snugly but avoid overfilling or pressing too hard, as this can cause the persimmon to tear. Once filled, wrap each persimmon tightly in plastic wrap, reshaping it into a neat cylindrical or desired form. Place the wrapped persimmons in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up.
Step 8
Remove the frozen persimmon delights from the freezer. While still wrapped, use a sharp knife to slice them into bite-sized pieces. The freezing process makes them firm and easy to slice cleanly.
Step 9
Your beautiful and delicious Persimmon Delights are complete! They look incredibly inviting, don’t they?
Step 10
For the best experience, enjoy each piece in one bite to fully appreciate the harmonious blend of nutty crunchiness and the zesty aroma of citron preserves. This is a truly elegant traditional dessert perfect for special occasions.
