Fall is the season for quinces, and this recipe for twice-baked quince is one of the easiest ways I know of to cook these deliciously aromatic fruits. The spicy scent of a couple of quinces sitting on your counter will fill the kitchen. Quinces are super versatile in that they can be roasted with meats, stuffed, or added to stews, as they often are in Eastern Mediterranean cooking, or you can make them into simple compotes and purees, or bake them as here. They are hard fruits, much harder than apples, so however you cook them, all they need is time for their tart, golden flesh to turn pink and soft. Other than that, quinces are undemanding. Why not start cooking some with this recipe? Try it!
AuthorAnn Ogden GaffneyFall is the season for quinces, and this recipe for Twice-baked quince is one of the easiest ways I know of to cook these deliciously aromatic fruits.
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, and smear with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
Grease a small gratin dish.Set aside.
Wash the quinces, and gently remove any fuzz from their skins. Set them whole on the prepared baking sheet, flower side up. Place on a center shelf in the oven and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the quinces are a deep mahogany color, and toothpick tender. Remove from the oven and raise the heat to 400F.
LIft the quinces off the baking sheet and cut each in half lengthwise. With a teaspoon, carefully scoop out the woody centers containing the seeds and discard.
Place the quinces cut side up in the prepared gratin dish - they should fit quite tightly. Cut the remaining butter into 8 pieces. Put a piece in the center of each quince. Cover each with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for another 60 - 70 minutes or until the tops are nicely caramelized (See Ann's Tips). Serve warm with a dollop of creme fraiche or plain Greek yogurt.
Quinces often have a white fuzz on them. This is completely natural. Just wash the fruit and wipe the fuzz off before cooking.
if you like dessert extra sweet, and with a bit of crunch, at the end of the second cooking, add more sugar to the tops of each quince and broil them, taking care not to burn the sugar.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, and smear with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
Grease a small gratin dish.Set aside.
Wash the quinces, and gently remove any fuzz from their skins. Set them whole on the prepared baking sheet, flower side up. Place on a center shelf in the oven and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the quinces are a deep mahogany color, and toothpick tender. Remove from the oven and raise the heat to 400F.
LIft the quinces off the baking sheet and cut each in half lengthwise. With a teaspoon, carefully scoop out the woody centers containing the seeds and discard.
Place the quinces cut side up in the prepared gratin dish - they should fit quite tightly. Cut the remaining butter into 8 pieces. Put a piece in the center of each quince. Cover each with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake for another 60 - 70 minutes or until the tops are nicely caramelized (See Ann's Tips). Serve warm with a dollop of creme fraiche or plain Greek yogurt.
Quinces often have a white fuzz on them. This is completely natural. Just wash the fruit and wipe the fuzz off before cooking.
if you like dessert extra sweet, and with a bit of crunch, at the end of the second cooking, add more sugar to the tops of each quince and broil them, taking care not to burn the sugar.
