Pawpaw Pudding

Though Pawpaw expert Blaise Pezold—the overseer of the Mereaux Foundation's "Pawpaw Palace" at Docville Farms—insists that pawpaw fruits are best enjoyed straight off the tree (remove the seeds though! They are mildly toxic), this simple pudding recipe adapted from Sheri Castle's for the New York Times is a great way to incorporate the unique fruit and its distinct flavor into your baking repertoire.

Read more about the "Pawpaw Renaissance" taking place in Louisiana here.

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

2 cups sugar 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 cup of butter, melted

3 eggs 

2 cups (1 lb.) of pawpaw pulp 

1 1/2 cup whole milk 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

Whipped cream, for serving 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a baking dish with butter or oil. 

2. Combine first 7 ingredients and whisk together in a large bowl. 

3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and pawpaw until smooth. 

4. Whisk milk and vanilla into the wet ingredients, then add melted butter. 

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir. 

6. Pour batter into baking dish. 

7. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the pudding is firm in the center. 

8. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream.