Wholegrain Spelt Persimmon Bread with Peanuts and Raisins

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Sweet, juicy ripe persimmons can be sliced and added to salads, or halved and baked as the desserts, or pureed and used in this lovely quick bread gently spiced with nutmeg and refined with Cognac, chia seeds, and nuts. The persimmon puree adds a lot of sweetness and moisture to the baked goods.

Wholegrain Spelt Persimmon Bread

adapted from James Beard via David Lebovitz

280 g Freshly ground wholegrain spelt flour 55 g Ground hazelnut 1 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 2/3 tsp Ground nutmeg 5 packet NuNaturals white stevia powder 1 tbsp Chia seeds

50 g Pure stevia syrup 100 g Melted unsalted butter, cooled to room temperature 3 Large eggs 60 ml Cognac or whisky 300 g Very ripe hachiya persimmon, pureed 1 Small ripe banana 100 g Applesauce, unsweetened 150 g Unsalted, roasted peanuts 100 g Raisins or dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess.
   
2. Whisk the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, stevia powder and chia into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, blend together the stevia syrup, melted butter, eggs, cognac, persimmon puree, banana, and applesauce.
   
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then stir into the liquid mixture. Now fold in the roasted peanuts and raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then place the pans in the oven.
   
4. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool 5 minutes in the pan. Turn out the bread from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

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