Oh, I had thought about saving this for Thanksgiving – ever so briefly – but as soon as I saw this recipe in Huckleberry, I wanted to make it now, now, now.
And I had plenty of quince (or quinces, I am not really sure…!) although I also added in an apple to bring in a bit of natural sweetness since I reduced the sugar in the recipe a lot, as I tend to do.
This is not a difficult recipe to execute though it requires a bit of patience between the cooking, cooling, chilling, slicing, more chilling etc., but the end result is so worth it.
Tips: Use a soft, mild goat cheese that you will be able to spread more easily and evenly. Personally, I like the bit of tartness that it gives to the filling but, if you prefer, you could also sweeten the goat cheese mixture with a few teaspoons of honey.
Quince and apple goat cheese tart
(adapted from Huckleberry)
You’ll need:
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 6 cups water
- 1.5 cups raw sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- pinch of salt
- 2 large quince, peeled
- 1 large apple, peeled
- 1 cup (about 220 g) of mild goat cheese
- 2 T creme fraiche
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 2 T unsalted butter
- vanilla sugar (optional)
1. Bring the water, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a boil in a pot over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat, add quince, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes before adding the apple and cooking for 15-20 more minutes until fork tender.
Refrigerate the fruit and the syrup until completely cooled.
2. In a small bowl, mix together goat cheese (at room temp) and creme fraiche and set aside. You can add a few teaspoons of honey for sweetness here if you want.
3. Allow the pastry to come to room temperature before rolling it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle shape. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Trim and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Core and slice the quince and apples (I still think that using a melon baller is the easiest way to do this!) somewhat thinly. Keep the poaching liquid!
5. Spread the goat cheese mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a 3 inch border all around to fold the pastry later.
6. Gently dry the fruit with a paper towel before placing the quince and apples in alternating rows on top of the goat cheese mixture.
Brush the exposed dough with egg wash and fold over the filling along the edges.
Brush with more egg wash and sprinkle with vanilla or regular sugar. Dot the exposed filling with butter. Wrap well and freeze for 30 minutes to an hour before baking.
7. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake from frozen for about an hour until golden-brown. Right after taking out of the oven, brush both the dough and the filling generously with the poaching liquid/syrup.
Allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
Darya says
November 4, 2014 at 4:59 pmFabulous recipe, Ksenia. I love the idea of using goat cheese here. With or without honey… I also enjoy the tartness of goat’s cheese, and it is perfect with fall fruit.
And isn’t the flavor of quince heady and intoxicating? I just made spiced quince compote for a sweet loaf, and am considering just eating it straight from the bowl.
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:47 pmI’m so with you on the scent and taste of quince, Darya. It’s pretty magical! And fleeting. Thank you!
Greg says
November 5, 2014 at 12:41 amOh letting that cool to room temperature would be tough. You do the best things with fruit.
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:48 pmThank you! I know, I know, but let the syrup soak in and you won’t regret it 😉
Alice says
November 5, 2014 at 2:36 amThat is a seriously beautiful tart! I happen to love the balance of sweet and salty and (tart) flavours. This recipe has definitely got it in droves!
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:48 pmThank you, Alice! I love that juxtaposition as well. xx
The Saint Jeffreys says
November 5, 2014 at 4:14 pmSo pretty! This recipe would be wonderful with pears, too.
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:49 pmThanks so much! I was thinking of doing pears + apples for Thanksgiving in case there is no more quince… 🙂
Teresa says
November 5, 2014 at 8:00 pmThe tart is gorgeous! I like the idea of adding apple and reducing the sugar. Quince is such a treat. I keep thinking I have to make some space in the coming weekend to use some, or I’ll miss it entirely.
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:50 pmThanks so much, Teresa! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’ve been trying to seize the quince moment!
Choc Chip Uru says
November 5, 2014 at 8:11 pmHonestly I don’t find quince that often in Aus, but it looks like a beautiful ingredient in this cheese tart! A perfect mix of sweet and savoury!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:52 pmYou could always do this with apple and/or pear as well, Uru – thank you for the compliment!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
November 5, 2014 at 11:49 pmYour tart looks and sounds great. We had a quince tree in our orchard but lost it in an ice storm. I love the way a ripe quince can perfume your whole kitchen.
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:53 pmIt’s such a seasonal treat, Karen, isn’t it? I remember we used to make quince jam quite a lot when I was growing up but there was a time later, here in NY, when it was pretty hard to find!
Debra says
November 6, 2014 at 5:49 amI still haven’t baked anything with quince, and I’m really curious about its taste. This looks both light and rich, and I would enjoy putting this together. It is very appealing, Ksenia. 🙂
saffronandhoney says
November 6, 2014 at 12:54 pmTo me, it’s the perfect sweet-tart autumn fruit 🙂 plus, it keeps its texture very well in baking. Thank you for your kind words, Debra!