Last week, I enjoyed the most amazing dessert at Millennium Restaurant- it was a decadent combination of a walnut date pudding topped with a scoop of ginger ice cream and garnished with a candied dried hachiya persimmon. It was delightful, to say the least. This recipe was inspired by that delectable combination of persimmon, ginger, and walnuts... 

INGREDIENTS:

For the wet ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1 cup organic pumpkin puree
• 1/4 c. blackstrap molasses
• 1/3 c. melted coconut oil 
• 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 c. packed coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 fuyu persimmon, finely chopped and diced

For the dry ingredients:

• 1 2/3 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Garnishing ingredients:

• Dried persimmon (I finely sliced a fuyu persimmon and using the 'dehydrator' function on my toaster oven, dried these over 90 minutes)
• chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a small cup, whisk together the chia seeds and water to make a 'chia egg.' Let it sit for a few minutes to thicken.
3. Mix together all the wet ingredients in one bowl.
4. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a larger bowl.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Divide the batter evenly over the 12 muffins. Add chopped walnuts and dried persimmon on top for garnish.
7. Bake for 20-24 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5-10 minutes, and then gently transfer onto a cooling rack until completely cool. Enjoy!!

These are now my favorite muffins. It's like an explosion of all the fall flavors combined into one moist muffin. Moist, heart-healthy, plant-based and delightful. Totally dietitian-approved!