Day 4: Gram Sturm's Persimmon Cookies...Remixed

This cookie has become something I look forward to every Christmas when my grandparents come visit. My Gram will bring a gazillion of her two most famous cookie recipes - persimmon and snickerdoodle. My dad gobbles up the snickerdoodles, my mom and I sneak one or the other every now and then, and my Grandpa complains about how we're all ruining his "shrink". But in the big scheme of things, we all look forward to my Gram showing up with those dozens of tins of cookies and would be a little sad if she didn't

I knew I wanted to include these in my 25 Days of Christmas Cookies, but of course with a few modifications. Not because the originals aren't good! I mean hello...they're cookies from Gram! Of course they're good! But it is nice to spice things up every now and then, right?

I used a special kind of walnut I'd never seen before called Red Walnuts, and they really are red! The flavor isn't much different from a regular walnut, but they add a festive color to the cookies. I also used dried cranberries instead of raisins, which my Gram uses when she makes them. I like the way the tartness of the cranberries complements the sweetness of the persimmons, but feel free to use raisins if you prefer!

Gram Sturm's Persimmon Cookies...Remixed
makes 2 dozen

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter
• 1/2 TBS ground flax + 1 1/2 TBS water
• 1/2 cup persimmon pulp (about 2 persimmons pulsed in the food processor for a couple minutes)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream together Earth Balance and brown sugar. Add flax mixture and blend. Mix in persimmon pulp, walnuts, and cranberries. Sift in dry ingredients and stir until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 17-20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy with a warm up of tea...and maybe a phone call to Gram...

Roomie Reactions...

Jenna: "Mmm..yeah! They taste healthy, but in a good way. I'm a fan of these Lauren!"

Jess: "They do taste healthy!"

Jamie: "It tastes like something you would eat at Grandma's house!"

Megan: "They're very light and not too sweet. I like it!"