Quince crumble

A few months ago I went to a wine tasting evening at my local vegetarian cafe. The wine was absolutely superb and I enjoyed myself very much. However, what really stayed with me was the quince liqueur. I am in love with it, but at 15 quid for a small bottle it isn't cheap so I decided to make my own (recipe on its way).

 

 Quince are notoriously hard to get hold of due to their short growing season and few suppliers. They are similar in appearance to pears and apples, however they are usually not consumed raw due to their hard texture and astringent flavour. Quince are more suitable for jam and jelly making, as well as wine, liqueur and cider making. They develop a lovely deep orange/red colour when roasted and are delicious in crumbles.  






Quince crumble, serves 4-6 
 
3 quince, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
190g granulated sugar
5 bay leaves 
Water

For the crumble topping:

300g plain flour
200g vegan sunflower margarine
140g brown sugar
70g oats


Preheat the oven to 160°C. Put the quince wedges in an ovenproof dish measuring approximately 9½" x 7½" x 3" deep. Add the sugar, bay leaves and enough cold water to just cover the quince wedges (about 3 cups). Bake the quince for 2½ hours or until they turn a lovely deep orange colour. Toss the quince occasionally to ensure an even colour. Remove from the oven, discard the bay leaves and drain excess liquid, leaving a little behind. Turn up the oven to 190°C.

  
 

To make the topping, rub the butter and flour together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs (do not overwork). Mix in the oats and sugar. Sprinkle the crumble on the quince and bake for 20 minutes until the top is browned and the mixture is cooked. Serve warm on its own or with a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream.