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/...