Quince Pie

Quince is an uncommon fruit for those living in North America as it originates around the Mediterranean.  The quince fruit looks like a pear with a rounder body.  It has a beautiful aroma, and it offers a unique sweet taste with hints of pear, apple, honey, and citrus.

• Makes: One 9” Quince pie

• Start to table: 1hr 30min

Ingredients

• 9” deep pie shell

• 397g puff pastry

• 8 medium sized quince fruit – peeled, cored and sliced

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons all purpose-flour

• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch

• 1/8 of a cup of water

• ½ cup white sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 whisked egg yolk

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

• 25mL milk (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C).

Take the puff pastry, roll it out and cut it into strips about one cm thick.  Set aside.

Next, create the sugar paste.  Melt the butter into a saucepan and add in the flour and cornstarch, stirring it until it forms a paste.  Add in water, then white and brown sugar, and bring to a boil.  Heat and stir until everything is incorporated, and reduce to a simmer.

Separate half of the sugar paste for usage later.  Mix sliced quince into the remainder of the sugar paste and coat.

Fill the bottom of the pie crust with quince.  Create a hill where the middle is higher.

Brush egg yolk along the edges of the pie and use puff pastry to create latticework.

Brush the remainder of the egg yolk and sugar paste over the latticework.

Put in the oven to bake.

Optional:  After 50 minutes, remove the pie and brush with a little milk and sprinkle with white sugar and cinnamon.  Return to the oven until the time is up.