Skip to main content

Quince Sharlotka


I jump for joy whenever I see quince in the markets; I love quince. Quince are golden-hued till you cook them. Then they take on unique shades of pink, orange, and rose. They are lovely. Many people have commented that they don't know what a quince is or they haven't ever had a quince. If you're unfamiliar, here's a piece I wrote for Edible Monterey Bay several years ago: Queen of Quince Takes Her Show on the Road.

Truth be told, this is not a traditional sharlotka. The few Russian recipes I found didn't actually use ricotta or even quince. But I went with it anyway. I love adding ricotta and sour cream to baked goods for added moisture...and quince is always a delight. Also, this is normally done in a large Springform pan; I wanted to make individual cakes.

Ingredients makes 12 individual cakes

Poached Quince
  • 4 C water
  • 1 organic lemon peel
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-1/2 to 4 C quince, peeled and sliced

Sharlotka

  • 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • 1/4 C softened butter
  • 1/2 C organic granulated sugar
  • 1 t vanilla paste
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1 C flour
  • 2 t baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 C poached quince, chopped
  • Also needed: parchment paper, butter, cupcake tin

For Serving

  • poached quince 
  • organic powdered sugar

Procedure

Poached Quince
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 60 to 75 minutes until the quince is tender and has turned a delicate shade of salmon pink. Drain and reserve poaching liquid. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peel. When cool enough to handle, chop about 2 C worth. Leave the rest of the slices whole for serving.

Sharlotka
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. While the oven heats, butter the cupcake hollows and cut parchment paper to line the bottom of each hollow. Set aside.

Whisk together ricotta, softened butter, sugar, vanilla paste, eggs, and milk. Fold in the dry ingredients until just moistened. Stir in the chopped quince.

Scoop 1/2 C batter into each hollow and place the pan in the oven. Bake until the top is golden and pops back up when pressed. Mine took about 50 minutes.


Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.


 Run a knife around the edges, then invert onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment circles from the bottom. After cooling for 10 to 15 minutes, place the cakes on individual serving plates.


Dust with powdered sugar.


Arrange a few slices of poached quince on each plate.


Serve warm.


This cake is moist and custardy on the inside and lightly caramelized on the outside. I can't wait to try this process with other fruits. I'm thinking apples next. Actually, I think apples might be traditional. Stay tuned...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an