Quince Tart Recipe

Prepare quinces

Wash quinces to remove fuzz. Peel, core, and cut quinces into quarters (or eighths if large). Place pieces immediately into a bowl with lemon juice to prevent browning.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat to dissolve the sugar.

Add the quince quarters to the sugar syrup in a single layer if possible. Add the cinnamon stick and whole cloves. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 25–35 minutes, turning pieces once or twice, until quinces are tender and translucent when pierced with a knife. Cooking time depends on quince ripeness and size.

Remove quince with a slotted spoon into a bowl. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves. Continue simmering the syrup until reduced by about one-third and slightly thickened (5–8 minutes). Stir in vanilla extract. Pour the reduced syrup over the reserved quince and let cool completely. Reserve 80–100 ml of the syrup for glazing while assembling.

Combine flour, icing sugar, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl or in a food processor. Add cubed cold butter and rub with fingertips or pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-size butter pieces remaining.

Mix the egg yolk with the ice water and add to the flour-butter mixture. Gently mix until the dough just comes together — avoid overworking. If dough is too dry, add an additional teaspoon of ice water at a time.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly butter a 23–24 cm tart pan with removable bottom.

Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick, large enough to line the tart pan with a slight overhang. Gently transfer the dough to the tart pan, pressing into corners and trimming excess with a knife or rolling pin. Chill lined tart shell for 10–15 minutes to relax the gluten.

Line the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans or dried beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, then remove parchment and beans and bake another 8–10 minutes until pastry is pale golden. If the base puffs, prick with a fork while warm. Let pastry cool slightly in the tin.

Lower oven to 180°C (350°F). If you prefer a warm tart, you can reheat gently later; otherwise assemble at room temperature.

Arrange the cooled quince pieces in concentric circles over the baked pastry shell. Tuck smaller pieces to fill gaps. Dot small pieces of the 20 g butter between the quince pieces to enrich the filling.

Use the reserved quince syrup (approximately 80–100 ml). If it has set, warm gently. Brush a thin layer of syrup over the arranged quinces to glaze them and to add shine.

Warm the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan or microwave until loose. Strain if necessary. Brush the jam lightly over the quince for a glossy finish and added sweetness.

Scatter flaked almonds over the tart if using. Bake the assembled tart at 180°C (350°F) for 8–12 minutes to set flavors and warm through, then remove and cool on a rack for 20–30 minutes.

Carefully remove the tart from the pan. If desired, dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.