Honey Roasted Quince Custard Tarts

inmykitchenwithyou

12 hours ago

4 min read

Honey-roasted quince, nestled into crisp buttery pastry and baked beneath a silky vanilla custard ... There are some things that are worth taking your time over, and quince is very definitely one of them.

Three quince custard tarts on a grey plate, garnished with thyme, on a rustic wooden table.

These little Honey Roasted Quince Custard Tarts started with a handful of quinces and the idea of roasting them slowly with honey and thyme until they became soft, golden and sticky. Once I had them, putting them into a custard tart seemed almost inevitable.

The quince brings a gentle floral sweetness and a little acidity, while the creamy vanilla custard softens everything beautifully. And those caramelised edges? That's the bit you really want.

A LITTLE ABOUT QUINCE

If you've never cooked with quince before, you're not alone. It's one of those fruits that looks a little like a large, lumpy golden pear but behaves rather differently.

Quince is an ancient fruit, closely related to apples and pears. When it's raw, it's incredibly firm, dry and astringent — not exactly something you're going to slice up for your lunchbox. But give it some gentle heat and a little patience and it transforms completely.

The flesh softens, the flavour becomes beautifully fragrant and floral, and it can turn the most wonderful shades of golden yellow, blush and deep rosy pink as it cooks.

It's particularly lovely with honey, vanilla, warming spices and herbs such as thyme, but it also has a wonderful savoury side and is gorgeous with pork, duck, game and cheese.

In other words, quince is a fruit that needs a little persuasion.

And these little custard tarts seemed like a rather delicious way of persuading it.

Honey Roasted Quince Custard Tarts - The Recipe

Makes

6 individual tarts

Prep Time

45 minutes, plus chilling

Quince Roasting Time

1 hour–1 hour 20 minutes

Pastry Baking Time

15–18 minutes

Custard Baking Time

20–25 minutes

Total Time

Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including chilling and roasting

INGREDIENTS

For the Honey-Roasted Quince

2–3 quinces
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
100ml water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tbsp butter

For the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

200g plain flour
100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1–2 tbsp cold water, as needed
Pinch of salt

For the Vanilla Custard

4 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
250ml double cream
100ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Roast the Quince

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan / 190°C conventional / Gas 5.

Peel the quinces, quarter them and carefully remove the tough cores. Cut each quarter into thinner wedges.

Arrange the quince in a roasting dish and add the honey, lemon juice, water, thyme & butter.

Cover tightly with foil and roast for 45–60 minutes, turning the quince once or twice, until it has softened.

Remove the foil, baste the quince generously with the roasting juices and increase the oven to 200°C fan. Roast uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, turning and basting once or twice, until the quince is beautifully golden and caramelised around the edges.

Set aside to cool slightly and keep those gorgeous sticky roasting juices.

2. Make the Pastry

Put the flour, icing sugar, salt and cold butter into a bowl. Rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and mix. Add just enough cold water to bring everything together into a soft dough.

Don't overwork it. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Line the Tart Cases

Lightly butter six individual tart tins.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick and use it to line the tins. Gently press the pastry into the edges without stretching it. Trim away the excess and prick the bases lightly with a fork.

Chill the pastry cases again for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 180°C fan. Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or baking weights. Blind bake for 12 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights and bake for another 3–6 minutes, until the pastry is just beginning to turn golden.

Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 160°C fan.

4. Make the Custard

Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until smooth.

Heat the double cream, milk and vanilla in a saucepan until hot but not boiling.

Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking continuously.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a jug. This gives you that lovely smooth, silky finish.

5. Assemble the Tarts

Arrange pieces of the honey-roasted quince inside the pastry cases.

Pour the vanilla custard gently around and over the quince, filling each tart almost to the top.

Carefully transfer the tarts to the oven.

Bake at 160°C fan for approximately 20–25 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges but still has a gentle wobble in the centre.

Don't overbake them — the custard will continue to set as it cools.

6. Finish

Allow the tarts to cool in their tins for a few minutes before carefully removing them.

Warm a little of the reserved honey-quince roasting juice if necessary and brush it lightly over the quince for that beautiful glossy finish.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

And if there happens to be a little roasting syrup left in the dish...

Well. That's for the cook.

JO'S KITCHEN NOTES

Quince is not a fruit to rush. The roasting stage is where the magic happens, so don't be tempted to pull it out before it is properly tender.

The quince can be roasted a day ahead and kept chilled in its juices. Bring it back towards room temperature before assembling the tarts.

When baking the custard, look for the wobble rather than the clock. You want the edges set and the middle still trembling gently. A firm, completely motionless custard has probably gone a little too far.

And don't throw away the quince roasting juices. They're concentrated with honey, thyme and all that lovely quince flavour and make the perfect little glossy finish for the tarts.

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