Spiced Persimmon Shake

I don't care what all the shop windows are saying, or the music playing inside those shops, it's still autumn in New York and not Christmas. Autumn in New York. I love this city.

Makes me want to eat pumpkin things, and put cinnamon on everything, and wear orange. And I always make it a point to take advantage of persimmon season while it's here. And, in case you haven't heard, it's here. Persimmons are funny little things, delicious and custardy when ripe (and remember, they must be ripe!) Turns out, they make a pretty good little shake as well. A warm orange color, so perfect for this time of year, spiked with autumnal spices like garam masala (think cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and coriander), ginger, and a little spike of real maple syrup. You just cannot go wrong with that combination. For this one, I used skim milk, but now I'm wondering if that made it a bit too frothy. I think 2% would work better, but it's up to you of course. It's your shake. The following recipe makes one of them.

Spiced Persimmon Shake

A Cooking Books Original

1 very, totally and completely ripe hachiya persimmon (the one that's in the shape of a big strawberry)
1/8 teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Milk to just cover
Ice if you want

Cut the persimmon in half and scrape the pulp out of the skin and into the bowl of a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Enjoy autumn!