Ingredients

Serves 8

You will need:

1 quantity quinces recipe
1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry recipe
1 quantity hazelnut frangipane recipe
1 punnet strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

Quinces
6 small-medium quinces (stems attached if possible)
1kg sugar
Juice of 3 lemons
1 ½ litres water

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
300gr plain flour
200gr butter, cubed and cold
100gr icing sugar
1 egg
25gr hazelnut meal

Hazelnut Frangipane
120gr unsalted butter
150gr caster sugar
200gr hazelnut meal
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Method

To prepare the Quinces:

Rub the down off the quinces (with a clean wettex or chux) and wash them.  Pack them tightly into a heavy based saucepan and add the sugar and water.  Bring to the boil and boil rapidly over high heat until a syrupy jelly begins to form.  Reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer for about 4 hours.
Very carefully turn the quinces during the cooking so that they become a deep ruby colour all the way through. The slower and longer they cook, the stronger the colour.

Add the lemon juice at the end of 4 hours and cook for a further 1 hour.
Cool in liquid. When cold, remove from liquid and cut into quarters. (You will find that the entire quince is edible, although you can remove the cores if you prefer.)

 

To make the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:

Combine dry ingredients in the food processor and pulse until combined.  Add cold cubes of butter until mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  Add egg and pulse until just combined.  Do not over-process.  Flatten ball, cover with cling wrap and chill until required.

 

To make the Hazelnut Frangipane:

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until well combined.  Set aside until required.

 

To assemble
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loose bottomed, rectangular tart tin (with fluted sides if possible). Alternatively use a baking tray and just fold the sides in. 

Roll pastry out to about ½ cm thickness and about 20cm x 30cm. Spread thickly with frangipane, leaving a 3cm border all around.
Sprinkle with strawberries. 
Arrange quinces decoratively and fold edges in roughly.

Cook for 30-45 minutes or until pastry is cooked through.

Serve with thick cream or mascarpone.