Quince Paste Recipes

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Quince & Golden Syrup Tart


Quince paste gives this very sweet, gooey tart a lovely grainy texture and deep richness of flavour.

Ingredients
300g sweet shortcrust pastry
11/2 cups golden syrup
3/4 cup quince paste
50g butter, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cream
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3/4 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

Method
Roll out pastry to 3mm thick and use to line a 24cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Prick base with a fork, then chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Line pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or weights to blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180ºC.Place golden syrup, quince paste and butter in a saucepan and gently melt over a low heat, whisking until quince paste melts. Place eggs and cream in a bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in lemon zest, melted mixture and breadcrumbs. Pour mixture into pastry case and bake for 25-30 minutes until set. Serve tart with whipped cream or mascarpone. Serves 8.

From: www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageId=24843&0A95E2DC-D892-41FC-8FC0509B8315D39A

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Cheese boards.

"With a little know-how, you can turn your ordinary cheese platter into a head turner. First choose quality over quantity. Stick to three or four great cheeses, choosing a variety that appeals to all palates, such as Mainland's superb Vintage Cheddar, Tasty and Blue Vein cheese. Best eaten at room temperature, take cheese from the fridge an hour before serving. Next, think about accompaniments. Dried fruit such as muscatels or apricots work with most cheeses, while pickles are perfect with cheddar. Think slices of pear or quince paste if you are serving a blue cheese. Finally offer a variety of different crackers or lavosh, or try a crusty sourdough for variety, and wait for the compliments."

From: Australian Table magazine December 2005.