| 1 | For best results, persimmons must be riper than you think they are. |
| 2 | They ripen best at room temperature, points up -- no bags, no ripening bowls. |
| 3 | When they look rotten, shriveled, and feel like there"s jelly under their skins, they"re ready. |
| 4 | This can take weeks. |
| 5 | Persimmon filling: set oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 450°F. |
| 6 | Scoop persimmon pulp out of skins, discarding seeds and leaves. |
| 7 | Puree pulp in a food processor or blender. |
| 8 | Whisk together cream, flour, sugar, and melted butter. |
| 9 | Beat together the yolks, the whole egg, and the vanilla and whisk into cream mixture. |
| 10 | Fold in persimmon pulp. |
| 11 | Pour filling into pie shell. |
| 12 | Top with a handful (about ?cup) of praline crumble. |
| 13 | Bake 10 minutes at 450°F. |
| 14 | Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour more. |
| 15 | Rotate pie if crust begins to overbrown, or cover rim with a foil strip. |
| 16 | Filling will nearly boil when done. |
| 17 | For sticky pecan praline crumble: toast pecans on a cookie sheet at 350°F about 10 to 15 minutes, tossing them a few times. |
| 18 | (nuts will start to smell toasted when they need to come out of the oven). |
| 19 | Butter another cookie sheet and set aside. |
| 20 | In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar, water, and cream of tartar to a boil over medium-high heat. |
| 21 | (if crystals form on the sides of the pan, cover the pan for 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes so steam rinses off the sides). |
| 22 | When the sugar darkens, you may swirl the pan to even the color. |
| 23 | As caramel turns the color of light hay, remove from heat. |
| 24 | Don"t let the caramel get too dark, or the sugar will be too brittle to crumble, and it will snap instead. |
| 25 | Using a wooden spoon, stir in toasted nuts, mixing to coat them very well. |
| 26 | Spread caramel-coated nuts out on the buttered cookie sheet, cool 1 hour, then chop coarsely with a knife (a food processor causes the caramel to stick and clump). |
| 27 | You can store the surplus in a tightly covered jar at room temperature for three months. |
