Tag: Baked quinces

BUDINO made of chocolate and Autumn fruit

It all started with my purchases at the Queen Victoria Market and the fabulous autumn fruit.

I love persimmons.

I also bought, feijoas, rhubarb,  pomegranates and quinces. And then I saw some small pears and bought them too.

Friends were coming to dinner and I was unsure about what to make as a dessert.

I thought about making a fresh autumn fruit salad with walnuts, a persimmon crumble or the always a favourite, baked quinces. I then thought that the pears  could be added towards the end of the baking of the quinces .

A chocolate budino rather than a chocolate sauce would go particularly well with the pears.

 

Budino

In 1957 when I came to Australia with my parents my mother used to make budino for dessert. Unlike my Australian friends who had some form of dessert every night (even if it was tinned fruit and ideal milk instead of cream), my Italian family finished off a meal with fresh fruit.

My father would have his small pairing knife and peel fruit for our little family. Desserts were for special occasions and Sunday lunch was considered special, even when we did not have guests.

Although the English translation for budino is pudding, it is nothing like any form of  English pudding, whether steamed or baked.

Basically, budino is a thick custard, cooked on the stove and then allowed to set. We had no moulds, so my mother used to use a clear glass bowl. Our budino was two tone. She made two budini mixtures, one was vanilla and the other was chocolate. The slightly cooled vanilla budino was poured into the glass bowl first and once it was well on the way to setting it was topped with the slightly cooled chocolate budino. Sometimes she even managed to make some swirls. Later she started making apple strudel – Strucolo de pomi – rather than budino for guests.

When we lived in Trieste, if we were eating at home or had guests we always purchased pastries, as did my Sicilian relatives, but in Australia, we did not have access to the same range of pastry shops (we lived in Adelaide). Over time my mother taught herself how to make sweets of a higher standard and budino disappeared from her repertoire.

The budino as prepared by my mother was made of milk, corn flour, sugar, vanilla essence, butter or cream (to enrich it), and egg yolks. A bit like crème anglaise. Most of the recipes for budino do not include egg(s) and unlike many recipes for budino she did not heat the milk before making the custard. It all commenced in a thick bottom saucepan with cold ingredients.

It is dead easy to make and it tastes great.

The cream and butter enrich the budino and if you prefer a leaner version use  less of each or just one.

Chocolate version of budino

3 cups pf whole milk and 1 cup of cream (4 cups = 1 litre)
2 tablespoons of butter, if using unsalted add a pinch of salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup corn flour
1-2 egg yolks
150g + dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (add more if you want a stronger taste)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In the saucepan, mix the egg yolk(s), sugar, corn starch and cocoa. Add a little milk and stir to make a paste. Pour in the milk, vanilla and cream and continue to mix, trying to prevent any lumps.

Place the pan with the ingredients on the stove and over medium-low heat keep on stirring until the mixture is thick like custard. Add the butter towards the end.

When it begins to cool, place in the bits of chocolate and stir gently. Some of it will melt into the budino.  if you would like to taste firm chocolate, wait until the budino is cooler before you add the chocolate.

Pour into a mould  (or bowl) and when the mixture is cool, cover it and place it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, until completely chilled. If you do not want a skin to form on top, use some baking paper or butter wrapper and cover the surface.

Sometimes I pour the budino into  individual small serving bowls or cups or glasses as I do with a mousse. If you are using a mould, the budino can be turned out onto a plate as I would do with a jelly.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Although budino was always presented plain in my childhood, berries and baked fruit is always a good accompaniment.

It keeps well for a few days.

Above, budino with poached rhubarb and apples. Below, with baked pear.

 

BIANCOMANGIARE and GELO

In Sicily, they make Biancomangiare (Blancmange).

it is also called Gelo. This too  is thickened on the stove and set like a budino. It is simpler to make and much less rich.

AUTUMN FRUIT and baked quinces

A Tale about QUINCES

GELO DI MELONE (Jellied watermelon)

CARRUBA (Carob) and its uses

 

AUTUMN PRODUCE- lemons and quinces, wild mushrooms and homemade pasta

Autumn Produce Returns to Victoria

The shift into cooler weather always brings my favourite autumn produce in Victoria. This week’s market haul was especially inspiring: vibrant cime di rapa, glossy artichokes, fennel bulbs, chicory, and beautifully firm heads of red radicchio—much sturdier than just two weeks ago.

Cime di Rapa with Italian Sausages

As soon as I saw the cime di rapa, I knew what dinner would be. I sautéed the greens with chilli-flavoured Italian pork sausages and tossed them through orecchiette with plenty of strong, salty pecorino. A classic, comforting Pugliese combination that never disappoints.

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Cime Di Rapa

There were artichokes, fennel and even chicory for sale, and because of the colder weather the heads of red Radicchio seemed firmer than two weeks ago.

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Fresh autumn produce from Victoria: chicory, radicchio, fennel and artichokes.

Lemons, Quinces and Autumn Baking

A dear friend dropped off a generous bag of lemons from her father’s tree—fresh, fragrant, and perfect for the quinces I still had from last week.

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This time, I baked the quinces with honey and Tuaca, the golden-brown liqueur from Livorno made with brandy, citrus, vanilla and gentle spices. I added black peppercorns, cinnamon quills, star anise, a dash of vanilla, and slices of four large lemons.

The lemons caramelise into something like a crisp-edged marmalade: intensely flavoured and wonderfully sharp against the sweet quince. A modest splash of alcohol is enough, though a more generous pour would certainly be luxurious.

Yet again, I baked the quinces with different flavours. Honey as the sweetener and Tuaca from Livorno –  this is a sweetish, golden brown liqueur, and the ingredients include brandy, citrus essences, vanilla, and other secret spices – probably ordinary simple cinnamon and nutmeg .

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There was also a bit of water.

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The baked quinces were fragrant, magnificent tasting and I enjoyed preparing them.

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A Gift of Wild Pine Mushrooms

Another surprise was a delivery of saffron-coloured pine mushrooms (Lactarius deliciosus)—also called saffron milk caps—from friends in Red Hill. The small ones are beautiful left whole, while the larger mushrooms slice perfectly and become meaty and rich when cooked.

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Holly our friends’ Cocker Spaniel, loves her photo being taken. She seized the opportunity for another photo session. She is a muse like photographer William Wegman’s photographic Weimaraner dogs.

Cooking the Pine Mushrooms

I cooked the mushrooms gently with garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, a little nepitella, and a splash of white wine. The result was a deeply savoury sauce that paired beautifully with freshly made egg tagliatelle.

THE COOKING OF THE MUSHROOMS AND THE HOME MADE TAGLIATELLE

 

Homemade Pasta: Simple and Satisfying

Making pasta at home is easier than many people think—just 100g of flour per egg.

For two people (with a small portion leftover), I used 300g of durum wheat flour and three eggs:

  1. Place the flour in a bowl and make a well.
  2. Add eggs and a pinch of salt.
  3. Bring the mixture together with your fingers.
  4. Knead into a smooth dough.

You can also use a food processor—mix until the dough looks like breadcrumbs, then gather it into a ball with your hands.

I divide the dough into three pieces, wrap them, and rest them in the fridge for an hour. Rested dough passes much more easily through the pasta machine. Flatten slightly and roll several times before cutting into tagliatelle.

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Freshly rolled egg tagliatelle made with durum wheat flour.

JUST TO SHOW OFF

This week I also made a rustic pasta from rye flour, rolling it between sheets of baking paper and cutting it into simple strips. Earthy, quick, and very satisfying.

Very simple.

Related Recipes & Posts

Mushrooms and home made Pasta:

WILD MUSHROOMS, I have been foraging again

PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS – Pasta ai funghi

WILD MUSHROOMS – Saffron Coloured, Pine Mushrooms and Slippery Jacks

QUADRUCCI IN BRODO, Squares of home-made Pasta in Broth

GNUCCHITEDDI (Making small gnocchi shapes using my great grandmother’s device)

Pasta with cime di rapa (rape is plural):

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE VEGETABLES – Cime di Rape

PASTA with ‘NDUJA, CIME DI RAPA and PORK SAUSAGES

CIME DI RAPE (A winter green)

About Nepitella:

STUFFED BAKED MUSHROOMS with Nepitella

Quinces:

AUTUMN FRUIT and baked quinces

A Tale about QUINCES

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AUTUMN FRUIT and baked quinces

Autumn Fruit in Victoria offers a stunning variety of fruit, characterised by its vibrant colours, enticing fragrances and rich flavours.

This week, my basket included quinces: golden, firm and wonderfully aromatic.

Last week’s haul was just as tempting — figs and persimmons, two of my favourite autumn fruits.

The figs were luscious and sweet, perfect eaten fresh or cooked in countless ways.

 

A few weeks earlier, prickly pears were still around too, marking the slow transition from summer to autumn.

Prickly pears

A Week of Unexpected Gifts

One friend dropped off a bag of pomegranates, and the next day another neighbour left a surprise on my doorstep — a bag filled with feijoas (the small, egg-shaped green fruit) and strawberry guavas, those deep-magenta gems that smell of strawberries and roses.

All things considered, it was not a bad week for autumn fruit.

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Strawberry guavas

The Joy of Simple Fruit

Pomegranates are now well established in Australia. Their ruby-red seeds can be eaten fresh, scattered over savoury dishes, or used in desserts.

Persimmons are equally versatile — both the crisp vanilla variety and the soft, custardy ones — but like pomegranates, I often prefer them simply sliced and enjoyed raw.

The attraction of Quinces

Quinces, on the other hand, need to be cooked to reveal their true magic. Though I must admit, I always nibble a piece of raw quince while cutting them. Their transformation from pale yellow to a deep rosy colour is one of autumn’s quiet pleasures.

In Australia quince paste (cotognata) has become familiar and some make quince jelly, but I prefer making baked quinces.

Every batch is different because I rarely follow a strict recipe — I take inspiration and then do my own thing.

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My Way of Baking Quinces

Some elements are essential:

  • Sweetener – sugar, honey, or leftover bits of jam or jelly from the pantry.
  • Acid – wine, orange juice, lemon, or lime.
  • A splash of something alcoholic – perhaps a half-finished bottle of liqueur, spirit, or aperitivo.
  • Fragrance – cinnamon, star anise, cloves, mace, bay leaves, black peppercorns, or fennel seeds.

For this latest batch, I used water, white wine, feijoa jelly (a gift from a friend), cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon slices, and bay leaves.

Scrub the quinces well, quarter them, and leave everything in — skin, seeds, and membranes. These help the syrup turn beautifully jelly-like. The liquid should reach halfway up the fruit.

Bake covered with foil at 170°C for about two hours, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes.

The result? Jewelled, tender fruit in a fragrant syrup that perfumes the kitchen for days.

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Fresh quinces ready for baking

The result? Rich coloured, tender fruit in a fragrant syrup that perfumes the kitchen for days.

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More recipes for Quinces:

A Tale about QUINCES

AUTUMN FRUIT Cumquats (Kumquats) and Quinces

MOSTARDA and COTOGNATA – Sweets in Moulds

PRICKLY PEARS Fichi d’India and a paste called Mostarda

AUTUMN FRUIT Cumquats (Kumquats) and Quinces

I do like Cumquats and Quinces – both are Autumn fruit.

The photos were taken at my friends’ house in the south – east of South Australia. Each time that we are together we get productive in her kitchen.

My friend  likes to make preserves – cumquat and whisky marmalade, pickled cumquats and cumquats preserved in brandy. She also makes quince jelly and quince paste. On this particular weekend we used some of her abundant  autumn harvest.

She has the round shaped cumquats. The elongated variety of cumquats are much sweeter and are very good eaten fresh and whole . I like to eat both varieties raw and whole.

Here are photos of some of the methods used to make the cumquats in brandy or Cointreau or a mixture of both. Rum or Whisky is also good.

You could add some extra flavourings if you wish: cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, star anise or glace or crystallized ginger.

The jars and lids will need to be sterilised. You may have your own way to this, for example:

  • Use the hot cycle in your dishwasher
  • cover them with hot water and boil them, for about 10 minutes
  • fill them with boiling water, place them on a baking tray lined with a tea towel and put them into a 110 C oven for about 15 minutes.

Although my friend had several kilos of cumquats, the recipe is based on using 1 kilo of cumquats.

You can use as much alcohol of your choice as you wish, for example a ratio of 3 cups of alcohol to 2 cups of water – adjust according to taste.  You will not necessarily know how much liquid you will need to cover the cumquats in the jars but you can always make more if you run out of the alcohol and water mixture.

Sugar – use 800g per kilo of fruit.

Use only whole fruit that are bright orange in color and have firm, undamaged skins. Make sure that they have stems.

Wash and dry them and remove the leaves. Leave the little green stems, then prick each one a couple of times with a thick needle.

Cover with water and bring them slowly to the boil. Simmer them uncovered for about 10 minutes – the must not collapse.

Drain them carefully and gently – they must remain whole. Reserve the water to use in the alcohol mixture.  Combine water with sugar, bring to the boil and boil for about 5 minutes. Take off the stove, add alcohol and mix well.

Place the fruit gently into the prepared jar. Add some spices or ginger among the cumquats if you wish. Top with the syrup. Do not crowd them too much as they may break. Cover with lids. Allow to stand for at least two weeks before using.

4 quinces,  cinnamon quills,  3  lemons, sliced,
About 200g sugar,
2 cups of water

I wiped the fuzz off the quinces and preheated my oven to 140C (fan-forced). I cut the quinces into quarters and sliced lemons and placed them in between the pieces of quinces.

Added sugar and water.

Covered them with foil and baked for at least 3 hours until quinces are soft and a rich red  – I removed the foil about 15 minutes before they finished cooking.

Jelly ( from the juices) in the left over quinces.

SEE EARLIER POSTS ON QUINCES (click on links):
A Tale about QUINCES
MOSTARDA and COTOGNATA- Sweets in Moulds
PRICKLY PEARS Fichi d’India and a paste called Mostarda

A Tale about QUINCES

There is nothing like baked quinces, and this is the tale.

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When cooked slowly (4-5 hours) with sugar or /and honey they they transform from an indeterminate dirty cream, pale green colour to a deep coral. They look beautiful, smell good and taste great.

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Resting in their raw state on a bench or in a fruit bowl, they will also deodorize the environment.

In spite of being cooked for such a long time they retain some of their firmness and hold their shape and do not turn squashy like apples or pears.

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It is an autumnal fruit and although we are nearing the end of winter in Melbourne I bought some recently.  Usually when I buy quinces I buy them loose but each one of these  was individually wrapped in paper and packed firmly in a box. They were labelled as Australian. We are a big country and I would imagine that they would still be found in an other part of Australia. I also imagine that because we can store apples and pears successfully, we would be able to keep quinces in cold storage too.

My yearning for quinces this year began in Nottingham. I was there in early May which is not quince season, but as you may know  anything can be bought out of season in the UK from anywhere in the world.

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These quinces came from Morocco and my friend slowly baked them. These were smoother than any quince I had ever seen and much more round. My friend, Pat, is an Australian living in Nottingham and she agreed with me.

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It is easy to see how Pat prepared her quinces – she cut the quinces horizontally and made neat regular hollows removing the core. Then she placed them upright in a ceramic baking dish she had buttered beforehand. She placed honey and small pieces of butter in the hollowed cores and added a little more butter around the quinces.

Cloves, bay leaves, a little sugar and water and surrounded the quinces. She covered them with foil and baked them at about 150C for about 3hours. The foil came off for the last hour. And the quinces in Nottingham were superb!

While we enjoyed an array of British produce and ate warm quinces  with excellent rich  British cream and drinking Italian liqueurs and Scotch, another happening was going on in her front garden, so you can see what season we were heading into in Nottingham.

Poppies @ Pat's

And very close to their house this was going on in the  small river.

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First we met an egret poised to fish on the water’s edge. Then we saw a swan  sitting on a nest … the companion was floating nearby.  Shortly after we left Nottingham, cygnets hatched and made their parents proud.

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Back to quinces in Melbourne Australia.

Here is what ingredients I used and what I did.

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I wiped the fuzz off the quinces and preheated my oven to 140C (fan-forced).

You can basically flavour quinces with whatever takes your fancy.

I wanted to eat the quinces cold and therefore used no butter.

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INGREDIENTS

3 quinces, star anise, cinnamon quills, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves.
1 lemon, zest (grated), peel from 3/4 of an  orange – I used a potato peeler.
About 200g sugar, 100g honey.
1 cup of white wine and 1  cup of water.

I put the spices  and peel and the liquid in a baking dish.

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I cut the quinces in half lengthways and lay them in a baking dish, cut side down, skin side  up. I cored them but did not peel them.

Mine didn’t look as good but they too tasted great.

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I then drizzled them with honey and scattered sugar over them. I them made sure that there was sufficient liquid around the sides of the quinces, but not enough to cover them.  I then  used foil to cover them and I baked them for two hours.

I finished off the cooking for another two hours without the foil.  And it is during this time that magic happens and the colour changes .

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I presented my quinces with some homemade mascarpone.

Recipe: Mascarpone.

And shortly after we left Nottingham and were on our way to Sicily, the Peonies joined the numerous poppies in the front garden. The good weather had arrived.

Pat's poppy?