Grandma Lockett's Persimmon Cookies and a Love Story
Friday, December 21, 2012 at 8:47AM 
In years past, Christmas would never be complete without a batch of Grandma Lockett’s persimmon cookies. Grandma Lockett was my husband’s grandmother and without fail, every Christmas we would get a tin of her persimmon cookies. For me, they became the flavor of Christmas, and after she passed away, I continued to make them every year in early December, not only because I loved them so much, but for another very special reason that I’ll get to later.
Several years ago, The Husband stopped eating cookies, and I stopped baking them. All cookies. We were a cookie-free home. It wasn’t until about a month ago that he decided that if he were to allow himself one kind of cookie, it would be Grandma Lockett’s persimmon cookies. Well, people, it didn’t take me more than a nanosecond to hunt down some persimmons and get these made. I can’t even tell you how much I’ve missed them. I know, I know, I could have been making them all of these years, but it seemed sort of cruel to infuse the kitchen with the aromas of persimmon cookies when he was trying to cut back.
Anyway, by now I know you’re wondering what the love story part of this is, and since I honestly cannot eat a persimmon cookie without remembering this, I thought I’d share it with you.
Our story begins almost 45 years ago when I met this adorably cute guy in high school. He was a senior and I was a junior, and after dating for a few years, he proposed and I said yes and our parents were actually pretty happy for us, which is still to this day amazing to me because we were only 19 and 20 years old. (and no…. our first child was born 4 years later). Which brings us to the point of all of this…
(1970 on the steps of the court house)
...sorry about the photo quality...pretty old photo
So it was almost exactly 42 years ago that we went to the county court house to get a marriage license, but neither of us being old enough to sign the dang thing, my future mother-in-law had to come with us to sign for the license. Sigh. Still hard to believe.
So The soon-to-be Husband and I get on over to the court house to meet up with the soon-to-be-mother-in-law to get this marriage license taken care of, and we find not only his Mom, but Grandma Lockett is there too. Holding a tin of persimmon cookies. As you can see, I have never forgotten this, but I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone how much that meant to me. It just felt like Grandma Lockett’s way of welcoming me to the family, and turning this little moment in our lives into a bit of a celebration.
Six months later we were married and in a few months we will be celebrating our 42nd anniversary. It is a love story that continues unabated to this day.
And after so many years of not making or having a persimmon cookie, I got to fill the cookie jar this year. With persimmon cookies, lots of love, and some very happy memories. Here’s the recipe…
GRANDMA LOCKETT'S PERSIMMON COOKIES
Click here for a printable recipe
Of course, Grandma’s original recipe did not include a food processor. It just said, mix all of the ingredients together and bake at 350. So, if you don’t have a food processor, no worries. Just cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender or two knives. This is the way I did it for years. I do love my processor though.
1 cup persimmon pulp (about 4)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening (or butter)
½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, mash the persimmon and stir in the baking soda, the mixture will congeal. Set aside.
Place the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Add the shortening (or butter) and pulse several times until the shortening is the consistency of small pebbles.
In another bowl, cream together the egg and the sugars. Add the persimmon/soda mixture and mix well. Stir in the flour mixture and combine well. Add the dates, nuts and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on the greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned and puffy. Cool on wire racks.
Reader Comments (21)
We always have persimmon cookies at Christmas too! My grandmother used to make a persimmon cake. I loved this post. Thank you!
Love this. I can't believe you guys are old enough to be married 42 years! You look great!
Well, thanks so much, Thea!
This is just so sweet. Thank you for sharing that bit of your history with us. I think I'm going to have to try those cookies.
I lost my Mom's recipe for persimmon cookies. This look and sound very much like them. Thank you!
You're welcome, Kay. I hope these taste like them too!
Our neighbor has a persimmon tree and is always trying to give me persimmons. I'm going over there right now and getting a bunch! These cookies look so good. And thanks for the love story. So sweet.
That is the cutest story Patrice! You and your husband still look fantastic! 42 years is much to be proud of, and those persimmon cookies sound amazing, something I've never tried but want to now!
I was 19 when I got married and my husband was 20, we just had our 40th last March.
Congratulations, Marie! I don't often meet other couples who married as young as we did! Oh, and are still happily married, as I know you are. So nice to hear from you.
I loved your story and recipe. My Dad has a persimmon tree in his backyard and we are loaded with persimmons ripening right now. Did you use the crunchy type of persimmons (that look like the picture) or the soft kind that practically melt when they are ripe? My Dad's are the soft type.
I used the soft type, the fuju persimmons, Priscilla.. You're so lucky to have access to all of those persimmons! Enjoy
Congratulations, and you are both even better looking now - but you were awfully cute in the 70s photo. We got married in 1969 in our senior year of college, but we also celebrated 50 years of dating this year - yes we started dating when we were 14. Geez! :)
I've never tasted a persimmon. :-O
Congratulations, Linda! 50 years sine the first date is so awesome! It all counts. Persimmons are so good, especially in these cookies? So nice to hear from you.
What a beautiful love story and so deserving of two of the most awesome people I know! So glad you get to make these wonderful cookies again.
Thanks so much, Cousin Katie. Means a lot coming from you and you know how good these cookies are!
Patrice, that touched me in three ways - I've always been a sucker for a love story, a grandma and a persimmon cookie!
So sweet, Jean. Nice to hear from you!
Thanks so much for the recipe and love story! We married when we were 18 and just celebrated our 37th! God is GOOD! I am baking your cookies as I write this, the house smells so good! Keep on sharing your life and love!
Thanks so much, Laura. Enjoy the cookies!!
What a great story. I love persimmon cookies. My grandmother baked them for me as a kid and mailed them across the country to me while I was at college. Persimmon cookies are a great way to tell someone how much you care. Thanks for sharing your story.
You're so welcome, Tenaya. I enjoyed hearing your persimmon cookie history. So great to hear from you.