24/10/2018
Delicious All Saints’ Day recipe: Quince crumble with quince jelly and fresh cheese mousse
November will soon be here and with it, another commemoration, All Saints’ Day, a very special day that has always been celebrated with austerity and sentiment here in Spain as it is a day to honour and remember all our deceased friends and relatives.
For many years, All Saints’ Day in Spain has been spent visiting church or the cemetery to remember and pay (one’s) respects to all loved ones who are no longer with us. Following this, families usually gather for lunch (which lasts well into the afternoon) and then get together with neighbours to sample typical All Saints’ Day sweet treats such as buñuelos de calabaza (pumpkin fritters) chestnuts, huesos de Santo (marzipan rolls with egg yolk filling) pestiños (honey-coated fritters) or membrillo (quince jelly).
And it is quinces that we are going to talk about today, sharing with you a tasty recipe that will help you to impress your guests on All Saints’ Day. A wonderful quince paste recipe, created by our chef Jean Marc Sanz, head of the Emperador Restaurant at the Hotel Montiboli.
There are a lot of recipes using quince paste, but the recipe that we suggest you prepare to sweeten your All Saints’ Day is an extraodinary cheesecake with seasonal quince, that will certainly have you tempted.
The Recipe: Spiced seasonal quince crumble, quince jelly and fresh cheese mousse.
The recipe consists of 3 parts, the quince jelly, the crumble and lastly, the fresh cheese mousse. Once you have the 3 elements prepared (we will explain the ingredients and preparation methods separately) the only thing left to do is assemble the dish and enjoy its delicious flavour!
1. Step one: The quince paste
Ingredients for 4 persons:
Making the quince jelly:
If you have ever made it before, or if you know how to make quince jelly, this recipe will seem surprisingly easy.
Boil the white wine together with 125g sugar and the spices (clove, orange, cinnamon, lemon and anise) and leave to infuse for approximately 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the quince into four pieces, remove the skin and seeds and then cook for half an hour in the previously prepared infusion (stirring occasionally so that the quince doesn’t stick) until clear, the quince fruit should be soft but not overcooked. Remove and allow to cool.
Then, add to the skin and previously removed seeds 30cl of water and 50g sugar, reduce for 30 minutes until thickened.
2. Step two: The Crumble
Making the crumble:
The crumble is an Anglo-Saxon recipe that is eaten throughout autumn and winter. It is made using biscuit crumbs and baked in the oven, so you will find it very easy to make and it will give a touch of elegance to the dessert.
In a bowl, mix together the butter and sugar. Once mixed add the egg, lemon and cinnamon and continue stirring to form the mixture, finally adding the flour. Once all the ingredients are evenly mixed, continue until a breadcrumb like texture begins to form and then bake at 180º until lightly golden.
3. Step Three: Cheese mousse
Making the cheese mousse:
Cheese with quince is always a winning combination; we also love to work with seasonal products and with the arrival of autumn we can enjoy this tasty, age-old fruit whilst preparing a delicious recipe for friends and family.
Start by soaking the gelatine leaves in cold water. Once soft, mix with 100g of fresh white cheese followed by the sugar and then slowly and carefully fold in the soft-whipped cream until you have the required texture and then leave to set.
4. Step four: Assembling and presentation
You can choose your own style of presentation, using either a plate, glass, mould etc. to present the dessert.
If you prefer to use individual glasses, our suggestion for serving would be to first put a spoonful of crumble in the bottom of the glass, then add some diced quince, the jelly and finally the cheese mousse.
Once assembled, the dessert is ready to taste, you just need to decorate it with a mint leaf, or if you prefer, add a scoop of ice-cream. Then it will be ready to serve and enjoy on this special day.
As you can see, it is an easy and very tasty recipe, so why not have a go at preparing this delightful culinary combination to enjoy with friends and family on All Saints’ Day.
Let us know how you get on!
