Quince Custard Cake

Every year my parents send me a box of gnarly quince from a friend's tree. You can see last year's box here along with a recipe for some killer tartlets. They are hard and smooth, with hardly any fuzz and a sweet floral fragrance. I like to keep them out in a bowl on my coffee table for a few days because they smell so, so good. I also like to keep them around to remind me that my family is thinking about me even when they are climbing trees and foraging for fruit.



I have declared my love for quince again and again on this blog and I have a few new quince recipes up my sleeve this year. The first is for this amazing custard cake that I bookmarked ages ago. I know custard cake sounds a little complicated (and maybe a little weird), but if you have the time and patience to poach the quince, this cake comes together so easily. You can even mix it all in one bowl if you are feeling rebellious and don't want to whisk together your dry ingredients first (but I didn't tell you that was ok, ok?).



The result is crispy on the outside, dense and custardy on the inside and packed full of my favorite fall fruit, lightly poached with simple flavors. It's one of those desserts that is delicious served with a bit of creme fraiche or whipped cream and equally good as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea, and who am I kidding, it's great for breakfast too.

On a very different note, I'm sure many of you have heard about the devastating hurricane that blew through the Northeast this week. My household, was very, very lucky and we are so thankful that we were hardly affected at all, but others have not fared as well. If you are in NYC please consider signing up to volunteer by emailing nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov with your name, email address and borough. Also, support local businesses as much as possible. Even one day without sales can be devastating for them, especially restaurants and other food businesses. If you are far away, keep the coast in your thoughts and consider donating to the Red Cross or other relief organizations. Here is a list of other ways you can help relief efforts from the Wall Street Journal. Here is another great list of ways to help, divided by borough from Opening Ceremony via Brian Ferry. Be safe and take care of each other out there.

Update 11/5: Jenna at Sweet Fine Day compiled a list of NYC based organizations providing direct relief to people affected by the hurricane & The Occupy Sandy Relief Facebook Page is another excellent source of information if you want to help or volunteer directly. They've also set up an amazon registry if you are far away and would like to donate goods that will get to the folks who need them most. Occupy Sandy Relief Registry

Quince Custard Cake
adapted from Brandi Henderson

3.75 ounces all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
6 ounces sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons quince poaching liquid
4 ounces butter, melted
1 lb poached quince, drained well and chopped (about 3 medium quince, poaching instructions below)
1 tablespoon crunchy sugar like turbinado or light demerara
a few tablespoons of confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter an 8'' or 9'' round pan or springform pan and line it with parchment paper.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds until foamy. Whisk in the poaching liquid and melted butter.
3. Gently fold in the flour mixture, followed by the chopped quince. Pour the mixture into the pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with crunchy sugar. Slide into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or creme fraiche if desired.

Poached Quince

This recipe makes enough for the cake, plus some extra for snacking or maybe use the extra to make this Buckle.

5 cups water or half water and half white wine
2 cups sugar
1/2 lemon, cut into 1/4'' wedges
1 strip orange zest
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1t vanilla extract
4 medium quince, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

Over medium heat, combine the sugar and water (or water and wine) in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon, vanilla bean seeds and pod and quince and stir gently to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook the quince gently until they are soft and fork tender, but not mushy. This can take from 20-40 minutes depending on how ripe your quince are and how thickly they are sliced

Store the quince in their syrup until you are ready to use them and save the syrup for soda or cocktails. Serve the extra with yogurt or ice cream, or enjoy them as they are.



p.s. Sorry to the folks that received this post twice, blogger and I got into a fight.

Picking Apples and Making Pie

I am writing this post as Hurricane Sandy is making her way up the eastern seaboard. We are stocked with food and fortified with wine. I have baked a double batch of banana bread, located the magazines, playing cards and Scrabble game along with more practical items like flashlights just in case we lose power. The cat is napping quietly in her favorite desk chair as if tonight is a night just like any other which I am taking as a good sign. We are hunkered down and ready for the storm and I'm sure you're wondering what all of this has to do with pie and I'm sorry to say, nothing really. It's just that it's on my mind and it seems odd to write about anything else right now. So you'll have to excuse the fact that I have no real segue planned here to take you all back to the orchard where I picked the gorgeous apples that filled this classic apple pie.



On a bright sunny day last week I teamed up with an old friend and a new one to make the drive up to Fishkill Farms to pick some of New York state's finest apples. The season was winding down and there wasn't a huge variety of fruit left on the trees, but the mutsus and golden delicious that we picked were incredibly delicious and perfect for the pie that Nicole and I planned to bake. The killer picnic we packed and the warm cinnamon sugar coated donuts with cold, crisp cider at the farm stand weren't too shabby either.
 

The sun was bright that day, almost too bright for the 400 speed film I had in my camera so I don't have too many photos of the farm to share, but check out La Buena Vida for Nicole's gorgeous photos of the day and another shot of the pie we made (thanks for letting me make a mess in your kitchen, N!), and maybe Ellie will cut together a bit of the Super8 footage she shot too. Let's all just hope that she doesn't share my very ungraceful cartwheeling through the orchards...

Stay safe during this wild storm east coasters!

Apple Pie

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey
where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" and she is not messing around. This
crust is made with  a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes
throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter.

12 ounces pastry flour
8 ounces cold butter
4 ounces ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the
other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your
bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough
and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the
dough down and away from you. Scrape your sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to
the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away
from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl,
press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk.
Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I like to chill mine overnight.

For the Filling

4-5 large apples (about 3 lbs) I like mutsus, jonathans, golden delicious, and cortlands
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
zest and juice of one small lemon
zest and juice of half of an orange
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Peel the apples and cut them into 1/2'' chunks. Place the apples in a large bowl then add lemon
and orange juices and zests, stir gently to combine. Add the rest of the filling ingredients (except
the butter) and stir gently to combine.

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few teaspoons of coarse sugar like turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 400º

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12’’ circle 1/4''-1/8'' thick
and place it into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/4''-1/8'' thick and place it in the
fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. Fill the prepared pie shell with the apple mixture, dot with the 2 tablespoons butter, and top
with the second crust, trim the edges so there is about 1/2’’ of overhang then crimp the edges
and cut a few vents in the top. If you'd like to make a lattice top, here is a really great step-by-step slideshow from Bon Appetit.com.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min
before you bake it. When you are ready to bake brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and
sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.
5. Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack
of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 350º and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is
deep golden brown and the apple juices bubble. For extra shine, glaze the pie with another coat
of egg wash 10 minutes before you take it out of the oven, but keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.

Caramelized Pumpkin Puddings

I generally use roasted butternut squash for any holiday baking that calls for pumpkin purée. Personally, I think sugar pumpkins are pretty flavorless and not really worth the effort, but that was before I met the winter luxury (a pretty sexy name for a squash if you ask me). They are an heirloom variety that I had never seen before a trip up to Maine to assist a shoot that was covering the Common Ground County Fair last month. There was a beautiful farmer's market at the entrance to the fair with quite a few varieties of heirloom squash that I hadn't seen before and I couldn't resist bringing a few back to New York with me (big surprise). My hands down favorite was the winter luxury, a curious little pumpkin covered with netting like a melon that I admired my on my mantle for about a week before I gave in and decided to make something with it. When I cut it open the flesh was beautifully orange and when roasted it was smooth with hints of caramel and toffee. It was so naturally sweet and tasty that I ate the leftover puree plain as I stood over the stove whisking this very pudding. The pudding below is a perfect foil for the winter luxury's smooth texture and flavor, but if you aren't up to roasting your own pumpkin, canned will do just fine just don't skip the caramelization step.

p.s. Does anyone in have a winter luxury supplier in New York? I haven't been able to find them at my local farmer's market and I would love to find a few more before Thanksgiving.

Caramelized Pumpkin Puddings with Brown Sugar Cream and Seeded Brittle
yield 6-8 individual parfaits
If you'd like to roast your own pumpkin for this recipe here is a great tutorial from Aimee at Simple Bites. The caramelization technique below comes from Meta Given by way of Food52 and it is a winner.

Caramelized Pumpkin Pudding

1 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
pinch salt
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Spoon the pumpkin puree into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until the puree looks slightly dry and caramelized. Keep warm while you prepare the pudding.
2. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk the milk, cream and egg yolks. In medium saucepan whisk together the sugar, salt and cornstarch then whisk in the milk mixture, followed by the vanilla bean seeds and pod.
3. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it has thickened and is bubbling gently, 8-12 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the warm pumpkin puree, spices and butter. Remove the vanilla bean pod and save it for another use. Pour the pudding into a dish and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cool.

Brown Sugar Cream

1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, bourbon or rum

Combine the cream, brown sugar, and extract or booze in a large mixing bowl and whip until medium peaks form.

Seeded Brittle 

I used this recipe and added in 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds with the pepitas.

To Assemble

Whisk the chilled pudding until smooth, then layer it with the whipped cream in pretty glasses. Top with a few shards of brittle right before the puddings are served.