Apple Andor Quince Tarte Recipes

QUINCE TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• For crust:
• Mix first 3 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 3 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; add to processor. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
• For filling:
• Fill large skillet with ice cubes; set aside.
• Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy 11-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high; boil until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush and swirling skillet, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and cinnamon. Immediately place skillet with caramel atop ice in large skillet; let stand until caramel is cold and hardened, about 30 minutes. Remove skillet from ice.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Arrange quince wedges tightly together, rounded side down, in concentric circles atop caramel in skillet. Fill center with any broken quince pieces. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12 1/2-inch round. Place dough atop quinces; tuck edges of dough down around sides of quinces. Make three 2-inch-long cuts in center of dough to allow steam to escape during baking. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until quinces are tender and crust is deep golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 30 minutes.
• Place large platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing tart to slide out onto platter. Rearrange any dislodged quince wedges, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PEAR, APPLE, AND QUINCE CROSTATA

Steps:

• Make roasted fruit:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Peel, quarter, and core pears, apples, and quince, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss fruit with sugar, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, and 1 tablespoon apple cider in a bowl. Transfer to a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) and roast, stirring once or twice, until fruit is very soft and caramelized, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Remove from oven and add remaining tablespoon apple cider, scraping up caramelized juices from bottom of baking pan. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves. Cool in pan on a rack, about 45 minutes.
• Make pastry shell while fruit roasts:
• Whisk together flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 6 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water to dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just combined. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round, then fit into tart pan (do not trim).
• Make brown sugar filling:
• Put a large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and a pinch of salt and mix until just combined. Spread evenly in pastry shell.
• Assemble and bake pastry:
• Scatter roasted fruit with juices over filling. Fold edge of pastry over filling to partially cover (center won't be covered). Pleat dough as necessary. Brush folded pastry edge lightly with egg and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar.
• Bake on preheated baking sheet until filling is puffed and set and pastry is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool to warm, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove side of tart pan and slide crostata onto a plate.

QUINCE AND ALMOND TART WITH ROSé

Steps:

• Make the poaching liquid: In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, combine the rosé, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick, star anise, salt, and cocktail bitters (if using). Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of lemon zest (just the yellow layer, avoiding the white pith) and add to the pan. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves into the pan, seeds and all (discard the lemon halves). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat.
• Prepare the quince: Working with one quince at a time, use a sharp knife to shave off the ends of the quince and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the fruit. Set aside the peels in a bowl and reserve for later. Halve the quince through the stems and use a melon baller or round teaspoon measure to scoop out the seeds and cores, adding them to the peels in the bowl. As you work, drop each peeled and scooped quince half into the poaching liquid.
• Poach the quince: Once all the quince are in the poaching liquid, add water to the pan if needed just to cover the fruit. Press a round of parchment paper onto the surface of the liquid, eliminating any air bubbles, then place a small plate on top-this will keep the quince fully submerged as they poach. Bring the mixture to a lively simmer over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the quince are tender but not mushy and a paring knife slides easily through the flesh, as little as 25 minutes for very ripe fruit but possibly as long as 1 hour. Check the quince every 10 minutes or so. Remove the pan from the heat and let the quince cool in the liquid until warm.
• Make the quince jelly: Use a slotted spoon to remove the quince from the poaching liquid and transfer to a cutting board to continue to cool. Dump the reserved skins, seeds, and cores into the poaching liquid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick and syrupy and the bubbles are slow to pop, 20 to 25 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Press on the solids with a heatproof spatula to force as much liquid through the sieve as possible (discard the solids). You should have about ⅔ cup liquid. If you have much more than this, transfer the strained liquid to a small saucepan and simmer until it's reduced to the right amount. Due to all the natural pectin in the seeds and peel of the quince, this liquid will solidify into a soft jelly when chilled. Cover and refrigerate the jelly.
• Slice the quince: Cut the quince halves crosswise into thin slices between ¼ and ⅛ inch thick. If preparing the quince ahead of time, set them on a plate, cover, and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven and prepare the skillet: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with a thin coating of oil. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate any air bubbles. Brush the parchment very lightly with more oil and set aside.
• Roll out the almond paste: Working on a separate piece of parchment paper, use the heel of your hand to flatten the almond paste into a round. Place another piece of parchment on top and use a rolling pin to roll the almond paste into a thin, even round measuring about 9 inches in diameter. Set aside.
• Roll out the pastry: Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and let soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to beat the dough all across the surface to make it more pliable. Dust over top and underneath the dough with more flour, then roll it out, dusting with more flour as needed, into an 11-inch round. Use a sharp knife or a wheel cutter to cut the pastry into an even 10-inch round, tracing a dinner plate or a cake pan as a guide. Slide the pastry onto a plate and refrigerate until it's time to assemble the tart.
• Assemble the tart: Spoon all but about 3 tablespoons of the chilled quince jelly into the bottom of the prepared skillet (reserve the remaining jelly for glazing the tart). Layer the quince slices over the jelly in the skillet, overlapping tightly into whatever pattern you like (rows, a rosette, or free-form!). Uncover the almond paste round and carefully place it in the skillet, centering over the quince. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and slide it into the skillet, then use a spoon to tuck the edges of the pastry down between the quince and the sides of the skillet. Use a paring knife to make about 8 small slits across the pastry to allow steam to escape.
• Bake: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the pastry is golden brown and the jelly is bubbling up around the sides and starting to turn golden, another 25 to 35 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Turn out the tart and glaze: Working over the sink and using towels or mitts to protect your hands from hot flowing juices, place a rack over the skillet and invert. Give the rack a sharp tap on the counter to release the tart, then slowly remove the skillet. Peel away the parchment if stuck to the tart. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then while the tart is still warm, brush with the reserved jelly to glaze the fruit. Slide the cooled tart onto a platter and serve at room temperature.
• Do Ahead: The poached quince and quince jelly can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. The tart covered and stored at room temperature, will keep up to 4 days but is best served on the first or second day (the crust will soften over time).
• Cooks' Note
• Any inexpensive rosé wine will do for this recipe, just as long as it's decent enough that you wouldn't mind drinking it on its own.
• Quince will stay hard as a rock even when ripe, so the best indicators of ripeness are their color and scent. Look for quince that are more yellow than green and give off a strong floral, tropical-fruity aroma. If they don't smell like anything, leave them on your counter-they're not ready yet!
• Be very careful when scooping the cores from the quince, as the raw flesh is very hard and slips happen easily.

APPLE AND/OR QUINCE TARTE

Steps:

• Cut together flour, shortening and salt until it resembles small peas.
• Combine the egg, water and vinegar and gradually add to flour mixture.
• Stir just until moistened.
• Roll out.
• Combine sugar, flour, butter, lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a food processor.
• Process until well blended.
• Spread the sugar mixture over an unbaked pie crust.
• Arrange apple and quince slices, in an overlapping pattern.
• Spread the confectioner sugar.
• Bake on 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until crust is lightly browned (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven).
• Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

APPLE-QUINCE TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• To make the dough, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a pastry blender), mix together the flour, the 2 teaspoons sugar, and the salt. Add the 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) chilled butter pieces and keep mixing until the butter pieces are about the size of corn kernels. Add the ice water and mix until the dough comes together. Gather the dough and shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• To prepare the fruit and assemble the tart, peel, quarter, and core the apples. Peel, quarter, and core the quinces, then cut them into 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices. Melt the 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces/145 g) butter in a 10-inch (25-cm) cast iron skillet. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar over the bottom of the pan and remove from the heat.
• Pack the apples tightly in the pan, standing them on end, with the cored sides facing inward. It may seem like a lot of fruit, but they'll cook down considerably. Insert the quince slices between the apples.
• Place the skillet on the stovetop and cook over medium heat until the juices thicken and become lightly caramelized, about 25 minutes. While they're cooking, press down on the apples to ease them into the pan and promote caramelization.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle. Drape the dough over the apples in the skillet and tuck the edges down between the sides of the skillet and the apples.
• Bake the tart until the pastry has browned, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert a serving plate over the skillet. Wearing long oven mitts, grasp both the skillet and the plate and turn them over together, away from you, to unmold the tart. Be careful of any hot juices that may spill out!
• Although purists say tarte Tatin is best served on its own, others appreciate a spoonful of crème fraîche or Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143) on top or alongside.
• The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 1 month. Tarte Tatin should be served warm the day it's made. You can make it an hour or so in advance and leave it on the serving plate, under the overturned skillet, to keep it warm after baking. It can also be rewarmed in a low oven.
• Poaching the quince before assembling the tart will turn them a lovely ruby-red color and bring out even more flavor: In a medium saucepan, bring 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water, and a 2-inch (5-cm) piece of vanilla bean, split lengthwise, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.
• Peel, core, and cut the quinces into eighths. Put the pieces in the saucepan, cover with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit inside the pan, and simmer gently, covered, until tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Once poached, the quince can be kept in the refrigerator in the poaching liquid for up to 1 week. When assembling the tart, tuck the poached quince pieces between the apples. The poaching liquid can be reduced in a skillet until thick and syrupy, cooled slightly, and used as a sauce, if desired.
• Use a full-flavored apple, one that won't turn to mush during cooking. Winesap, Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Pippin, and Jonagold work well.

APPLE AND QUINCE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Peel, core and slice the apples, then peel, core and grate the quince. Fill a pie pan with the fruit, sprinkling sugar over each layer, and mounding it up toward the center of the pan. Pour the water into the pan to come halfway up to the fruit.
• Roll out the dough. Cut off a thin strip and attach it to the rim of the pan, brushing the rim with water first. Brush the strip with water and cover the pan with the sheet of dough, cutting off all the overhanging bits. Crimp the edges, brush the top with eggwash, and strew over the demerara sugar. Bake for 20 minutes before turning the temperature down to 375 degrees F and cooking for a further 20 minutes. Eat warm or hot with heavy cream.
• Use approximately twice the weight of all purpose flour (preferably organic) to unsalted butter. Some recipes call for half butter, half lard.
• Sift the flour and a pinch of sea salt into a food processor, then cut the cold butter into small pieces on top of it. I process it for 20 to 30 seconds, then add ice-cold water through the top, a tablespoon at a time, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes should be enough for about 10 ounces of dough, with the machine running. If the paste is still in crumbly little bits after 1 or 2 minutes, add a tablespoon more water, but remember, the more water you use, the more the crust will shrink if you bake it blind. One solution is to use a bit of cream or egg yolk instead of water. The moment the dough has cohered into a single ball, stop, remove it, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• If you're making pastry dough by hand, sift the flour into a large bowl with the salt, add the chopped butter, and work as briskly as you can to rub the fat into the flour. Use the tip of your fingers only, rather like running grains of hot sand through your fingers. Add the water bit by bit as above; wrap and chill the dough.
• If you're making a double-crust pie, divide the dough into roughly 2/3 and 1/3. Then scatter a bit of flour on your work surface, roll your rolling pin in it, dust the palms of your hands, and start rolling. Always roll away from yourself, turning the dough as you go, and keep the rolling pin and work surface floured to prevent sticking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 to 400 degrees F.
• Line your greased pie pan with dough. Never stretch it; it will stretch back. Try to leave at least 30 minutes for the unbaked dough to commune with the inside of your fridge. Or put it in the night before you need it.
• Tear off a piece of waxed paper a little larger than the pie pan and place it over the dough. Cover the paper with a layer of dried beans; the idea is to prevent the pastry from rising up in the oven. When the dough is nearly cooked (the timing depends on the rest of the recipe), remove the paper and beans and prick the bottom of the pie shell to let out trapped air that would otherwise bubble up. Return the tart to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to dry the bottom. Brushing the partly baked pie shell with a light coating of beaten egg or egg white ensure a crisp finished tart.
• Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in 2 tablespoons of the butter, as for shortcrust pastry dough, or use a food processor. Mix in the water and then gently knead the dough on a floured surface, preferably marble. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Keep the rest of the butter out so that it softens, then flatten it into a rectangle 1 inch thick. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into the same size as the butter. Place the butter in the center of the pastry and then fold over the top and bottom of the dough to cover the butter.
• With the rolling pie, press down on the edges to seal in the butter, then give the dough a quarter turn clockwise. Now roll the dough out so that it returns to it's original length. Fold over the ends again, press them together with the rolling pin, and give a further quarter turn clockwise. Repeat the process once more, then rest the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, remembering which way it is facing.
• Repeat the rolling and turning process twice more, then refrigerate for a final 30 minutes before using or freezing. If the dough gets warm and buttery at any stage during the process, put it in the fridge to chill.
• If you prefer not to make your own, you can buy ready-made puff pastry, but try to find the very best available.

QUINCE CRUMBLE TART

Steps:

• To make the quince purée, put the quinces into a large pan with 350ml water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hr or until the quinces change colour and are pulpy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then whizz with a stick blender until smooth. Pass the quince purée through a sieve into a clean pan and stir in the sugar, lemon zest and juice, and cinnamon. Cook the purée until it is reduced by one-third, then mix the cornflour with a little water and stir into the purée until it's thick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and almonds. Add the sugar and zest, then the egg and the egg yolk. Bring everything together, wrap in cling film and chill for 15 mins.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to line a 22cm tart tin. Place in the tin, trim the edges of the pastry if required, and chill for 15 mins. Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake blind for 20 mins. Remove the beans and paper, then cook for a further 15 mins until the base is biscuity. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Increase oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Meanwhile, to make the crumble topping, mix the flour, oats and sugar with a pinch of salt, then rub in the butter until you have an uneven crumbly mix.
• To assemble the tart, pour the quince purée into the tart shell so it comes just below the top, sprinkle over the crumble topping and cook for 25-30 mins or until the crumble is golden and the quince is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm with cream or custard if you like.

APPLE QUINCE PIE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the quinces and apple juice. Place cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until quinces are crisp-tender., Uncover; simmer 8-12 minutes longer or until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Discard spice bag. Cool for 5 minutes., Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Gently stir in quince mixture. Spoon into crust. , For topping, in a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. , Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.