For 12 pieces: Quickly knead a shortcrust pastry from 250 g flour, 50 g sugar, 1 sachet vanilla sugar, 120 g butter, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp water. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.
Then: 1 kg ripe quinces, ¼ l water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 pinch cinnamon, 3 eggs, separate; 75 g icing sugar, 200 g sour cream, 1 tbsp cornflour. (1 pound dried pulse for blind baking)
Rub the quinces thoroughly with a soft cloth to remove the fuzz. Now peel the fruit and cut into quarters, removing the stems, flower buds and core. Cut the quince quarters into thin wedges. Bring the water and lemon juice to the boil in a saucepan and steam the quince slices in it for 5 minutes, covered, over a low heat. Remove and drain well.
Roll out the pastry thinly, line a buttered tin with it and form a rim about 2 cm high. Prick the bottom several times with a fork, spread the pulses on top (so that the dough does not bubble when baking) and pre-bake in an oven preheated to 175 degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove the pulses, arrange the drained quince wedges on the pastry base in a pleasing way and dust with the pinch of cinnamon.
Whip the egg whites and sugar until stiff, stir in the egg yolks, sour cream and starch and spread the glaze evenly over the quinces. Bake the cake in the oven again for about fifteen minutes, until the icing is nicely browned.
"Quinces for the wedding people`...
...creates Lieb` und Lust und Kinderfreud'", this rhyme expresses appreciation. That the ancient Greeks already held quinces in extraordinary esteem is reported, calling them love apples from the Caucasus and dedicating them to the goddess Aphrodite as a symbol of love and fertility, that is much of an honor for a fruit not particularly appreciated, at least in this country. At least that's what Klaus Gasser observes in his exemplary assorted and managed shop in downtown Oberursel.
Quittens, these bright yellow, hard, rather dry, but also so extraordinarily aromatic fruits, have gone badly out of fashion, he says. Despite their fine, beguiling fragrance, reminiscent of apples and lemons at the same time. They originated in the Near East, where quince varieties still grow today that are so soft and sweet that they can be eaten fresh from the tree. Such quinces, Gasser knows, can sometimes be found in Turkish shops; they are also sometimes available from him and cost no more than their firm cousins, about €2 per kilo.
Whether apple or pear quinces, as they are distinguished by shape (the latter is considered juicier, softer, and therefore of higher quality, and is therefore almost exclusively sold on the market), they are good for many things.
Turkish housewives, according to Klaus Gasser again, still know what to do with the fruits and do not shy away from the work involved in their preparation.
It's really not that bad. First, the fruits, which, by the way, ripen well, must have their down rubbed off with a soft cloth. Then you have to cut them into pieces, which is no problem with a heavy knife, as you can find it in every well-equipped kitchen. Then steam them, no matter what you want to use them for further.
At winter time, the market leader needs some quince jelly. Not so much for breakfast, but to round out the flavor of many sauces, especially game dishes. Of course, you could buy quince jelly, but the homemade is just more promising. And in the coming year, when the quince tree in the garden starts to bear fruit, then quince liqueur will be prepared and sometime, if the harvest is large, perhaps also mash for quince brandy, the most aromatic, at the same time finest (and mostly most expensive) of the fruit brandies. As good as the one from Arno Dirker from Mömbris in the Kahlgrund, which has been mentioned here repeatedly, it should hardly turn out. Quince bread is a completely different, but very recommendable, old-fashioned thing.
Among the not too large variety of quince recipes, the cake with sour cream frosting always makes a good impression. As a welcome and possibly yes, aphrodisiac alternative to plum cake.
Fruchthaus Gasser
Klaus Gasser
Vorstadt 25
61440 Oberursel am Taunus
Tel.: 06171-55505
Monday-Friday 7am-1pm, Sat 6am-1pm
from Waldemar Thomas