Simply Quince is love of the “Golden Apple” + Brandied-Quince Buckle Recipe

Quince is a Persian fruit that is thought by some to be the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. From the outside, it looks like a combination of an apple and a lemon. The fruit feels as solid as a baseball. When peeled, the interior is a cross between an apple, pear, and jicama. The scent is reminiscent of apples and slightly floral. Barbara Ghazarian’s love of quince started when she was a little girl. Her grandmother had quince trees in the yard and when the fruit turned golden yellow in color, a rose-like fragrance filled the air. Observing her grandmother preparing ruby-red quince preserves started Barbara on the path of "quincing" and taking over the family tradition.

• Note: it requires poaching of the quince before incorporating it into each dish. Barbara includes an easy basic poaching recipe. It is best to poach the day before, allowing for cooling time and sparing you the poaching time on the day of actual preparation.

In the Sensational Sides chapter, Creamy Cauliflower-Quince Gratin caught my eye. This would be a great side dish at Thanksgiving.

• What we liked: Breadcrumb-parmesan topping; Savory and slightly sweetness play of the quince and the cauliflower, garlic flavor; Consistency of the cream sauce base
• Creative additions and changes: Crispy bacon adding into the topping or tossed with the cauliflower-quince mixture for crunchy texture and saltiness; Experimenting with broccoli instead of cauliflower; Adding more Asiago cheese

Rating: 4/5 stars

In the Compotes, Buckles, Crisps, and Crumbles chapter, Brandied-Quince Buckle sounded interesting. Actually, the word, buckle, was the most interesting. A Buckle is a type of cobbler made of cake batter with the fruit filling mixed in. The finished product reminded me of a fruit-filled coffee cake.

• What we liked: Apple cinnamon flavor and texture; Spongy coffee cake like texture
• Creative additions and changes: Scoop of vanilla ice cream on top; Serve with coffee

Rating: 5/5 stars

Brandied-Quince Buckle (pages 136-137 from Simply Quince by Barbara Ghazarian)

Serves 10 to 12

For the quince:

• 1¼ cups unsweetened apple juice
• ¾ cup brandy
• ½ cup sugar
• One 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound fresh quince, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch thick wedges (about 3 cups)
  

For the batter:

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups sifted while all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
  

For the crunch topping:

• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup white all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, cut into small cubes, plus more to grease the pan.

1. Prepare the quince a day or two ahead of time. Combine the apple juice, brandy, sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice in a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the quince. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the fruit for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes, or until the fruit is very tender and an attractive color of red. Transfer into a bowl, discard the cinnamon stick, and cool to room temperature. If you are not planning to make the buckle the same day, cover and chill. The quince will keep in its poaching liquid for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
2. At least 2 hours before making the buckle, drain the quince in a sieve set over a bowl; reserve the poaching liquid. Blot the fruit dry on paper towels, then place the slices in an airtight container, cover, and chill for 2 to 8 hours before using.
3. Pour the reserved poaching liquid into a small saucepan and reduce to ¼ cup cover medium-low heat. Set aside or refrigerator until you are ready to make the buckle.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter and set aside.
5. To prepare the batter, cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and blend well.
6. Sift together the flour (sifting the flour twice makes for a lighter, less dense cake), baking powder, and salt. Add a portion of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat well. Then beat in some of the milk. Alternating, add the rest of the flour mixture and milk, beating between each addition until smooth.
7. Toss the chilled quince wedges with the reduced poaching liquid in a small bowl until coated. Fold the fruit into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set aside.
8. To prepare the crunch topping, combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until blended. Scatter the butter cubes evening over the mixture and process to a coarse meal. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden on top.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
    

In the Afternoon Tea chapter, Caramelized Quince Upside-Down Cake sounded good. When you think of upside-down cake, you think pineapple. But quince is an interesting take on this common dessert.

• What we liked: Almond background flavor; Sweet caramel sauce
• Creative additions and changes: Use the brandied-quince poaching recipe from the buckle recipe for a nicer color and more apple-like flavor; Poached quince in this recipe seemed a bit grainy and heavy; Top with ice cream.

Rating: 3.2/5 stars

Simply Quince is a wonderful introduction to unique fruit. Simply creative!

 

For more information:

Simply Quince by Barbara Ghazarian

Purchase your copy today from Amazon or from Queen of Quince’s website  

Quince is in season now! Purchase now from Melissa’s Produce