| 1 | Persimmon puree: you"ll need fully ripe pointed-tip persimmons--pulp should be soft and jelly like. |
| 2 | Cut fruits in half and scoop out pulp with a spoon. |
| 3 | Discard skin, seeds, and stem. |
| 4 | In a blender or food processor, whirl pulp, a portion at a time, until smooth (you"ll need 2 or 3 med. size persimmons for 1 cup puree). |
| 5 | For each cup puree, thoroughly stir in 1-?tsp. lemon juice. |
| 6 | To store, freeze in 1-cup batches in rigid containers; thaw, covered, at room temperature. |
| 7 | Prepare persimmon puree; measure out 1 cup and stir in baking soda. |
| 8 | Set aside. |
| 9 | In a large bowl, lightly beat egg; then stir in sugar, oil, and dates. |
| 10 | In another bowl, stir together flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; add to date mixture alternately with persimmon mixture, stirring just until blended. |
| 11 | Stir in walnuts. |
| 12 | Spread batter evenly in a lightly greased, flour-dusted 10 by 15-inch rimmed baking pan. |
| 13 | Bake in a 350 °F oven for 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a pick inserted in center comes out clean. |
| 14 | Let cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. |
| 15 | Prepare lemon glaze: in a small bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tbs. |
| 16 | Lemon juice until smooth. |
| 17 | Spread over cookies. |
| 18 | Let cool completely; then cut into 2 by 2-?inch bars. |
| 19 | Store covered. |
| 20 | Makes 2-?dozen. |
| 21 | ( |
