Quince Tart Tatin

Quince Tart Tatin

Tart Tatin is one of my favorite desserts. Apple Tart Tatin brings back memories of my grandmother’s apple pies. The apples are soft, sweet and the buttery pastry is delicate and delicious. I’ve also made Pear Tart Tatin. So when I came across David Lebovitz’s recipe for Quince Tart Tatin, I was eager to give it a try.

I began by poaching the quince until it was soft and tender. The poaching liquid consisted of water, sugar, honey, lemon and vanilla.

These little quinces were dry and tough. I simmered them for about an hour before a paring knife slid through without resistance. While the quince soaked up sweetness and flavoring, I mixed up the pastry for the Tart Tatin.

David’s pastry recipe is the easiest I’ve encountered. Flour, sugar, salt and butter were “blitzed” together in my food processor. Then I added a little ice water, and just that fast, I had my pastry dough ready to go. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to cool.

In most Tart Tatin recipes, the fruit is partially cooked on the top of the stove in a mixture of sugar and butter. Once the fruit is soft, the crust goes on top and the whole thing goes into the oven. After it is cooked, the Tart Tatin is inverted on a cake plate. The result is a beautiful dessert, with caramelized fruit sitting on top of a butter crust.

For the Quince Tart Tatin, the poaching liquid is cooked in an oven-proof skillet until it is thick syrup.

The poached quince is placed in top of the syrup, and then the pastry crust goes over the quince. Into the oven at 375F, 45 minutes later, drum roll! 

Quince Tart Tatin is ready. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.