Poached Quince Reverse Cobbler
Like a cobbler in reverse, with soft poached quince on top and a tender, lightly spiced cobbler batter underneath. A elegant way to let quince be the star of this homey dessert.
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Like a cobbler in reverse, with soft poached quince on top and a tender, lightly spiced cobbler batter underneath. A elegant way to let quince be the star of this homey dessert.
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
2-3 strips of lemon peel
1 vanilla bean, split and chopped into a few pieces
1/2 teaspoon allspice berries
3 large quince
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1. Wash the quince well to remove any fuzz. Cut each quince in half. Carefully remove the core and any tough bits, like the stem. Cut each half in half, to make quarters.
2. While you're preparing the quince, combine the sugar and water in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, then add lemon peel, vanilla bean, and allspice berries.
3. Add the quince quarters to the hot syrup. Cut out a round piece of parchment paper to place on top of the quince as they simmer. This helps keep them submerged under the syrup.
4. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and let the quince cook until easily pierced with a knife. I've seen sources that say this can take an hour or two, but mine were plenty soft in about 35 minutes, so keep an eye on them. Time may vary depending on type of quince and how ripe they are.
5. Once the quince are soft, turn off the heat and let them come to room temperature in the syrup.
1. Butter an 8 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk together melted butter, sugar, and milk in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
1. Pour the cobbler batter into the prepared pan.
2. Remove cooled quince from syrup and cut into thin slices. To make a rose pattern, layer the slices in circles on top of the batter, starting on the outside edges and overlapping the layers a little bit. Roll up one or two slices into a rose to add to the center. Alternatively, you can place poached quince in any pattern you like on top of the batter.
3. Bake until cobbler layer is baked through, about 30-35 minutes. You can check for doneness with a toothpick, or use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the batter is about 200°F.
4. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
5. Optional: Simmer about 1 cup of quince syrup in a small saucepan until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Brush this glaze onto quince slices.
If you like, serve with vanilla ice cream or (my favorite) unsweetened whipped cream.
Note: No need to peel the quince, as the peels get plenty soft after cooking. Feel free to peel them if you please!
