Quince frangipane tart

SERVES 6 PREP TIME 35 MINS (+ 1 HOUR CHILLING TIME) COOK TIME 45 MINS 3 poached quinces (see below), cut into 1cm thick slices

POACHED QUINCES

1 cup (220g) sugar 3 cups (750ml) water 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 4 quinces (Makes 4 which is a little more than the tart recipe requires, but I’m sure the leftovers will find good use!)

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

1⅓ cups (200g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

⅓ cup (40g) icing sugar pinch of salt

150g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

¼ cup (60ml) iced water

FRANGIPANE FILLING

⅓ cup (80g) butter, softened

½ cup (110g) caster sugar

¾ cup (120g) almonds, lightly toasted and ground

1 tablespoon plain flour

2 tablespoon cornflour

1 egg

1 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 POACHED QUINCES Combine sugar, water and vanilla paste in a large saucepan. Cook over high heat, whisking every now and then until the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, peel and core 4 quinces, cut into wedges and add to sugar syrup. Cut a circle of baking paper to fit just inside the pan; press it down on the surface of the syrup. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 3 hours or until the quinces are ruby red and soft.

2 SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY Combine the flour, icing sugar and salt on a work surface. Bring into a mound and make a well in the centre. Fill the well with the cubed butter and a splash of the iced water.

3 Use the heels of your hands to bring the mixture together, working the butter into the flour and adding more water as needed. Keep going until you have a rough dough. Shape into a disc, cut off a quarter of the pastry and shape it into a smaller disc, then wrap both and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

4 Lightly dust your work surface with flour, then roll out the larger disc of pastry into a round about 3mm thick. Gently drape pastry over your rolling pin; ease into a loose-based fluted tart tin, 23cm in diameter and 3cm deep. Press pastry down into the crease where base meets the side. Cut away excess pastry to create a nice neat edge. Pop it into the fridge for another 30 minutes.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Prick the base of the pastry a few times with a fork. Line with baking paper and fill with pastry weights, uncooked rice or dried beans. Blind bake for 10 minutes; remove weights and baking paper, bake for another 10 minutes or until pastry looks pale and dry.

6 FRANGIPANE FILLING Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add ground almonds, flour, cornflour, egg and vanilla; mix until soft and smooth. Spoon frangipane into tart shell; smooth it out to cover base. Arrange poached quince slices on top.

7 Roll out remaining pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Cut it into 10 or so long strips. Place five of the strips across the top of tart and then weave remaining strips through them to create a lattice pattern.

8 Pop tart into the oven for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve tart warm or at room temperature with thick cream or ice cream.

Variation: Try swapping quinces with dollops of marmalade or jam. Poached pears are also beautiful, as are fresh raspberries or apricots.