Quince Paste with Two Ingredients

Today I am introducing a very old and very German recipe: quince paste. In its basic form it only contains quinces and sugar. This means it requires a lot of time and patience. You may not need to do much and there is a lot of waiting involved, but this is something that is done over the course of several days. First you will need to cook the quinces so that they become soft. Then they will sit with sugar overnight and on the next day you are going to cook them with sugar for at least an hour. Once you managed to make the paste, you need to wait until it is dry and can be cut into squares or cubes. Yes, this is some commitment. All I can tell you is that every time I gifted these, e.g. in a cookie box, I was instantly asked what this is and inquired about the recipe. In my opinion this is a wonderful contrast to all the Christmas cookies and a nice twist to a cookie.

I am introducing here intentionally the German version. Quince paste or dulce de membrillo or carne the membrillo is super popular in Latin America. In Uruguay a tart is made with it, it is called pastafrola. In Colombia a yeast wreath is filled with it, this is called roscones. Argentina likes to fill puff pastry with it, you will find the recipe for facturas here. Often quince paste is combined with cheese, Colombian pan de bonos or cheese puffs have a stuffed version with quince paste, you may also encounter empanadas with cheese and quince paste or some kind of puff pastry with cheese and quince paste. But let’s get back to the German version. This one stays simple, you sprinkle it with sugar and you serve it as a sweet. Straight forward and simple. I love it and may eat way too many.

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Quince Paste According to an Old Recipe

Prep Time: 30min – Cooking Time: 1hr 40min – Total Time: 2hr 10min plus overnight wait and drying

For this quince paste according to an old recipe you need to be patient, first the quinces need to be softened, then you simmer with sugar for at least an hour, and then it needs to dry. However, you will get very good flavor and will be rewarded.

Ingredients

• About 1.5 kilos of quinces after cutting
• 500 grams of regular sugar
• Optional: 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, two cinnamon sticks and/or a dash of rum

Instructions

1

In this short video you can see how I make it. Wash the quinces and rub off any skin excess. First half, then quarter and remove the core. You will need strength for this and a good kife, take your time. Then cut into larger chunks. Place into a pot with a lid and add a few centimeters of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20-40 minutes with the lid on or until soft. You should check in between if there still is enough water. Drain. Then move to a clean pot and mix with the sugar and spices if using. Cover with the lid and let stand at room temperature overnight.

2

The next day the quinces should have released some liquid, which we need. Bring to a boil, reduce temperature and while occasionally stirring, cook for about an hour. Stir more towards the end and if needed, lower temperature a little. Puree (take out cinnamon sticks first) and cook until you have a thick paste. Meanwhile line a baking sheet or similar with parchment paper and spread the paste on it. As a rule of thumb drying will take longer they higher you spread it.

3

You can speed up the drying process by baking at 80 degrees Celsius for two to three hours. If I let it dry with normal air, I usually peel off the parchment paper after two days and flip it upside down so that the second side can dry as well. Cut into cubes and sprinkle with additional sugar. You may dip in chocolate and add further decorations, I like it plain. If kept airtight, it will keep for a few months.