Honey baked quinces

Name: Honey baked quinces
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 4

Pudding & Cake Serves 4 3h 40 min

Quinces tend to vary in their cooking time, depending on size and age. If you have the time and patience, a long, slow roast in the oven assures a tender result and deep sienna colour. They can be problematic if cooked in a cake or pudding, as the dessert can rise or set before the fruit begins to yield. Better to serve them on the side, with plenty of the sweet syrup from the roasting pan. Ideal with a simple Madeira cake or baked custard.

Ingredients

2 quinces (about 700g)
1 lemon
300ml water
100g honey
80g caster sugar

Method

Prep time: 10 min

Cooking time: 3h 30 min

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 150°C/Gas 2.
Step 2
Use a peeler to pull 3 long strips of zest from the lemon. Add it to a pan with the water, honey and sugar. Warm gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Step 3
Meanwhile, cut each quince into quarters. Rub the cut surfaces with some lemon juice to stop them browning. Use a dessert spoon to remove any seeds from the core. Do not peel them.
Step 4
Place the quinces into a snug-fitting roasting tray. Pour over the honey and sugar syrup. Lay some baking parchment over the quinces and then cover the tray tightly with foil.
Step 5
Transfer to the oven and bake for 3 hours, or until the quinces are tender and deeply coloured. Remove the foil and parchment. Spoon the syrup over the top of the fruit. Turn up the heat to 180°C/Gas 4 and roast uncovered for a final 20 mins to deepen the colour and reduce the syrup.
Step 6
Serve warm with the sticky syrup from the roasting pan spooned over the top.