Recipes › Quince › Quince and Apple Tart
Quince and Apple Tart
Thinly sliced quince and apple are layered in alternating fans over a buttery almond cream filling in a crisp tart shell, creating a visually stunning dessert that highlights the quince's unique floral perfume. The quince is poached briefly before slicing to tenderise it and coax out its rose-gold colour, while the apple stays raw to provide a contrasting fresh crunch. This is autumn baking at its most graceful.
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Ingredients
- quince, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- apple (Golden Delicious), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- cup sugar, divided
- cup water
- tablespoon lemon juice
- pre-baked 9-inch tart shell
- tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- cup almond flour
- eggs
- teaspoon vanilla extract
- tablespoons apricot jam, for glazing
Contains: cereals gluten, milk, eggs, nuts.
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Poach quince slices: simmer water, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Add quince and simmer for 8–10 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool on paper towels.
- Make almond cream: beat butter and remaining sugar until pale. Beat in egg, then fold in almond flour and vanilla. Spread into the tart shell.
- Arrange poached quince and fresh apple slices in alternating, overlapping rows over the almond cream.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until the almond cream is set and the pastry is golden.
- Warm apricot jam with a teaspoon of water and brush over the hot tart for a shiny glaze.
- Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Tips
- Poach the quince first — raw quince is very hard and astringent and will not cook through in the time it takes to bake the tart.
- Keep poached quince slices in a bowl of water with lemon juice until ready to use to prevent browning.
Ring the changes
- Replace apple with pear for a softer, more uniformly tender tart.
- Add a tablespoon of Calvados or brandy to the almond cream for a boozy autumnal depth.
Keeping it
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature or warm a slice briefly in the oven.
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