Quinces on the tree

My Quince Ratafia will be wonderful by Christmas. It will add a glow as we drink it, to the Christmas Pud and the Mince Pies. It will cheer up vanilla ice cream and add a sparkle to the winter fruit salad. Added to the pork gravy or stirred into a pheasant and apple casserole, it will enrich and bring a sweet wintry depth to the sauce.

Grate a really ripe quince into a litre jar. Add a little sugar depending on your taste. Fill the jar with vodka being sure to completely cover the fruit. Cover with a tight fitting lid and store for at least two months in a dark place. Occasionally give the bottle a shake to help the sugar dissolve. The longer you keep it the better it gets!

Quince, Apple and Tangerine Compote.

Peel the quince with a potato peeler, core and chop into even size chunks. Even ripe quince are very hard, so watch your fingers! Peel, core and chop the apples and slice the tangerines, skin and all, just take out the pips. Put everything in a heavy based pan, tip in 500grams of sugar and heat through, gently at first, till the sugar melts. Then simmer for about an hour till you have a thick, rich puree.

It freezes brilliantly so over the winter months you can eat it with yoghurt or ice cream, or make it into a winter fruit fool.

I will use it as the base of a Tarte au Pommes. Having lined a flan tin with pate sucree and baked it blind, I will cover it with the fruit puree. Next I will arrange the sliced apple in neat circles on the top. I will put it back in the oven until the apples is soft. Then, when it is cool, I will glaze the tarte with rosehip syrup or redcurrant jelly. I will serve it with Devonshire Clotted Cream or home made ice cream.

Peel four pears, slice a small piece off the bottom of each one so that they stand up.

In a pan heat half a pint of water (300ml), 4 ounces (125gms) of caster sugar and a quarter of a pint (150ml) of red wine. Bring to the boil. Add the pears and cook gently till soft. They will turn pink and shiny.

Remove pears and stand each one on a serving plate. Boil the syrup quickly for a few minutes to reduce a little….don’t make toffee!!….and spoon the syrup over the pears.

They can be prepared in advance but not the day before because the juice will run out of the pears and spoil the syrup….

An old fashioned favourite, feather light but fresh and tangy too.

Separate the yolks and whites of three eggs. Beat 175grams of caster sugar into the yolks in a small bowl, add the juice and rind of a lemon. Place the bowl over a pan of gently boiling water and whisk till thick. Make sure the bowl is suspended above the water….if it gets too hot it will cook into a rather awful lemon scrambled egg! If in doubt use a double boiler.

When the mixture is thick and mousse like remove from the heat and whisk a little longer. While it cools cover 12 grams of powdered gelatine in a tablespoon of water in a small pan. Let it “sponge” then dissolve it over gentle heat. Add to egg yolks together. Very gently fold in 400ml of whipped cream and the stiffly whisked egg whites.

Divide the mixture between six small glasses and chill in the ‘fridge till set. Serve with extra cream.

Peel about 2kg of apples, pears or quince etc.
Save peel and pips and tie in muslin cloth. Put everything in a heavy pan with 300ml water and cook till soft.

When soft remove the bag of peel etc, weigh the cooked fruit, place in a rinsed pan with an equal amount of sugar.

Boil again stirring all the time till stiff and almost sticking to the pan. It will bubble and spit so cover your hand with a cloth.

Pour a very thin layer onto a baking tray, which you have lined with greaseproof paper, and leave to dry. The airing cupboard is a good place for this!

Turn regularly. After several weeks a crystal crust will appear on the surface and it is said to keep for up to two years!

But you can cut into squares, sprinkle with sugar and eat it all after about 12 hours, it’s so delicious. Or, if you’re more restrained, store it in a plastic box covered in granulated sugar. That way you have wonderful flavoured sugar as well.

Quinces

For real comfort food I sometimes make this wonderful old fashioned pud.

So simple and delicious; just add toasted, chopped hazelnuts to a basic meringue mixture; four egg whites, ¼ tsp cream of tartar, 225 gms caster sugar, 1 tsp vinegar.

Bake two meringue cakes in lined sandwich tins in a low oven. Cool in the tin, turn out, peel off the lining paper, sandwich together with clotted cream or whipped double cream and lemon curd or apricots poached in sugar syrup. Sprinkle with icing sugar and lemon zest and serve.

My fig tree has suddenly gone into overdrive producing more figs than even I can consume.

I found a delicious Fig Conserve hidden away in Jane Grigson’s beloved Fruit Book.

Simply cover the halved figs in half their weight of sugar and leave over night. By morning the sugar has drawn the juice from the figs. Bring everything gently to the boil and immediately scoop out the figs into sterilised jars, boil down the syrup. Pour it, thick and sticky, over the fruit and cover in the normal way. Store in the ‘fridge.

I have a feeling a dollop of this figgy bliss on a warm croissant with a large cup of strong black coffee will cheer cold winter breakfasts!

Our Figs & Goats Cheese

Here’s That Wonderful Old Christmas Cake recipe!

The following quantity makes a big cake, sufficient for a 9”/ 23cm diameter tin. I usually halve everything and use a 7 ½”/19cm tin.

First oil the tin and line sides and base with greaseproof or baking paper. Lightly oil the paper.

Weigh out 275gms of plain flour into a large bowl; add a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon of mixed spice and ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg.

Weigh out 175gms mixed peel, 175gms chopped glace cherries, 450gms sultanas, 450gms currants and 350gms raisins. Mix the fruit together in a large bowl and coat with a little of the flour.

://s3Soften 275gms butter with 275gms soft brown sugar till light and fluffy; use a food processor if you have one. Add the zest of an orange and a lemon, and 1 tablespoon of black treacle. Beat in 6 eggs one at a time using a little of the flour to prevent curdling. Pour this mixture over the fruit; add the juice of the orange and lemon and 4tablespoons of sherry or brandy. If you prefer not to use alcohol substitute more juice or milk. Gently fold in the remaining flour.

Pour into the prepared tin, level and make a slight hollow in the centre. Tie brown paper around the outside of the tin to prevent the outside of the cake from browning too quickly. Cover the top with two layers of greaseproof paper.

Place in a preheated oven 170c/325f/mark3 for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 140c/275f/mark2 and continue to cook 4-5 hrs; long slow cooking.

The recipe, copied faithfully onto my old brown envelope so long ago, says “when the cake is cooked it will stop singing”! However carefully I listen I prefer to test with a skewer as well! When you are satisfied the cake is indeed cooked remove it from the tin, take off the paper and cool on a wire rack. It will keep for weeks at this stage in an air tight tin.

Finish it with home made Almond Paste and Royal icing.