Quince, cranberry and pear cobbler
A delicious dessert made with a combination of fragrant quince, pears and cranberries
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 6
2 tbsp lemon juice
1lb 4oz (560g) quinces
1lb (450g) dessert pears
8oz (225g) fresh cranberries
2-3oz (50-75g) sugar
Pastry
1 egg
4 fl oz (100ml) milk
5oz (140g) butter
10oz (280g) plain flour
5oz (140g) golden caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2tbsp demerara sugar
Method 1
Add the lemon juice to a bowl of water. Peel, quarter and core the quinces, cut into ¼in (6mm) slices; slice the pears ½in (12mm) thick. Drop the fruit into the lemon water to prevent discoloration.
2
Put the cranberries and sugar into a saucepan. Add the pears and quince with enough lemon water to just cover the fruit. Bring to the boil, simmer for five minutes until the cranberry skins have split and the fruit has softened.
Strain the majority of the juice into a jug and leave to cool. Put the fruit, with just a little juice to keep it moist, into an wide ovenproof dish.
To make the cobbler topping, whisk the egg into the milk and set aside. Rub the butter and the flour together until it has the texture of chunky breadcrumbs, then stir in the caster sugar, baking powder and a large pinch of salt. Pour in the milk mixture and bring together to form a thick, batter-like texture.
Top the fruit with large spoonfuls of the cobbler mix, making sure there are a few gaps for the fruit to bubble through, then sprinkle everything with the demerara sugar. Bake for 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 190ºC, fan 170ºC (gas mark 6) or until the topping is golden.
3 4 5
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for five minutes before serving with cream or ice cream.