King Arthur Flour: Persimmon Oatmeal Bread

So, I was wandering through a grocery store near me, and I happened upon a display of fruits that looked like persimmons.  And I thought, oh, I liked that persimmon ice cream I made, so maybe I'll get some more persimmons.  Only these weren't just any persimmons, they were percinnamons.  Not even kidding.  They are a persimmon that looks like a hachiya (and thus should be astringent until it's a pile of goo), but is sweet when crunchy and has a cinnamon taste.  If this isn't a model of modern genetics, I don't know what is.  So of course I had to have one.  And then I had to stick it in something this morning.  So I found this awesome recipe for applesauce oatmeal bread, which is made even more fabulous with the addition of persimmon, and I proceeded to eat the first slice slathered in butter.  Verdict on the percinnamon?  Tastes like persimmon to me.  Verdict on the bread?  I would have eaten it again for lunch, except I figured I should at least attempt to act like a normal person every once in a while.

Note: I used black walnuts instead of regular walnuts because that is what was staring at me when I went looking for nuts in my freezer.  I also used unsweetened applesauce because I think a cup of sugar is already pushing the polite boundaries of cake.

Persimmon Oatmeal Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup canola oil
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup rolled oats
¾ cup applesauce
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 Fuyu persimmon or percinnamon, peeled and cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and spices, and add them to the wet ingredients in the bowl.  Mix in the oats, applesauce, walnuts, and persimmon.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the bread from the oven and cool completely.