Quince Apple Food

QUINCE-APPLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Inspect two 16-ounce jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until apple sauce is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Combine water, quinces, and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add apples and sugar and simmer until all fruit is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve.
• Reheat apple-quince mixture until hot, stirring constantly.
• Immediately pack quince-apple sauce into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any spills. Top with lids and screw rings on tightly.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for for 5 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and let rest, several inches apart, for 12 to 24 hours. Press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

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-APPLE PIE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine quinces with reserved peel, wine, vanilla pod and seeds, 1/4 cup sugar, and enough water to cover. Place cheesecloth or a round of parchment over fruit to keep it submerged; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until quinces are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon. Continue cooking liquid until syrupy and reduced by two-thirds, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, cover raisins with reduced poaching liquid. Let cool.
• Peel and core apples, and cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges. Transfer to a large bowl with lemon juice, and toss to coat. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the flour, and cinnamon; toss to combine. Drain raisins (reserve poaching liquid), and add to apple mixture. Using a melon baller, remove core from poached quinces, cut fruit into 3/4-inch-thick wedges, and add to apple mixture.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 14-inch round, 1/8 inch thick, and fit into an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, leaving overhang. Fill with apple-quince mixture, dot with butter, and fold edges over fruit, overlapping as needed and leaving center open. Brush dough with water, and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until crust is golden brown and juices bubble over, about 1 hour, 25 minutes. If fruit in center appears dry, brush with reserved poaching liquid. (If fruit or crust browns too quickly, tent with foil.) Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

PUFF PASTRY APPLE TURNOVERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; add apples and toss to coat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each pastry sheet into a 12-in. square. Cut each into four squares. , Spoon 1/2 cup apple mixture into the center of each square; fold diagonally in half and press edges to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet., In a small bowl, combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon; brush over pastry. Bake at 400° for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

BREAKFAST QUICHE

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add 3-5 tablespoons ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to an 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake 5 minutes; remove foil. Bake 5 minutes longer; remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 375°., Sprinkle bacon, cheeses and onion over crust. Beat remaining ingredients until blended; pour over top. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

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.