Quince Cheese Pavlova with Poached Quince, Cream & Thyme

An autumn pavlova with a little surprise tucked inside ... There are pavlovas, and then there are pavlovas that make you wonder why on earth you've never thought of doing this before ...

This one started with a batch of homemade quince cheese and a slightly mischievous idea. What if, instead of keeping quince cheese on the cheeseboard, we tucked it inside a French meringue pavlova? .. Not stirred through completely, not blended into a uniformly pink mixture, but swirled through the outer edges, leaving little pockets of concentrated quince to become chewy, sticky and almost jammy in the oven ... And so, the Quince Cheese Pavlova was born.

A little bit of autumn magic

The outside is crisp, delicate French meringue, streaked with beautiful amber ribbons of quince cheese. Break through that shell and you'll find little chewy pockets of quince, sweet and intensely flavoured, like a grown-up, autumnal Jammy Dodger hiding inside your pudding.

The middle stays snowy white, soft and almost moussey, because we kept the quince cheese towards the edges rather than dragging it through the centre.

Then comes the topping. A generous layer of softly whipped cream, tender slices of quince poached in simple syrup, a scattering of flaked almonds and a few sprigs of thyme. The cream softens the sweetness, the quince brings that unmistakable fragrant, almost floral flavour, and the almonds and thyme finish everything with a little crunch and a delicate herbal note.

It's a proper autumn pudding, made for the middle of the table, when everyone is pretending they haven't got room for dessert but somehow finds room for a slice.

Making the most of quince

Quince is one of those fruits that rewards a little patience. Raw, it's hard and rather uninviting, but cook it gently and something wonderful happens. The flesh softens, the flavour deepens and that familiar pale fruit can develop the most extraordinary rosy, amber and pink tones.

I'd already made my quince cheese, so using some of it in a pavlova felt like a lovely way to give it another life. I thinned it slightly with water until it was workable, then allowed it to cool completely before swirling it through the meringue.

The trick is not to overdo it. We want distinct ribbons and pockets of quince, not a meringue weighed down with fruit paste. A few deliberate swirls are all you need.

For the topping, I poached quince slices in a simple syrup. I covered the surface with a piece of baking parchment, with a hole cut in the middle, to help keep the exposed edges from drying out while the fruit cooked.

It's a little kitchen trick worth remembering whenever you're poaching fruit that needs to remain tender and beautifully moist.

Quince Cheese Pavlova with Poached Quince, Cream & Thyme ... Is it difficult?

I'll be honest: this isn't the quickest pudding to throw together. There are several elements to prepare, the meringue needs a gentle hand, and you'll need to allow time for baking and cooling before adding the cream and fruit.

But there's nothing here that requires professional equipment or cheffy skills. If you've made a meringue before and you're happy to take your time, it's a very achievable project.

I'd put this one in the Intermediate category. Not because it's impossibly complicated, but because a little care makes all the difference ... And if your quince cheese is already made, you've done part of the work before you've even switched on the oven.

A few things worth knowing

• Cool the quince cheese completely. Warm quince cheese can interfere with the meringue, so give it time to cool before you start swirling.

• Keep the swirls towards the outside. This gives you those lovely amber pockets while preserving the pale, soft centre.

• Don't overwork the meringue. A few swirls with a skewer are enough. We want marbling, not a uniformly coloured mixture.

• Let the pavlova cool completely. Add the cream and poached quince shortly before serving so the crisp shell has the best chance of staying crisp.

• Keep the poaching syrup. A little can be drizzled over the fruit, but use it sparingly so the meringue doesn't become soggy.

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A pudding worth making time for

I love recipes that take a familiar idea and give it a little twist without making it unnecessarily complicated. This pavlova does exactly that.

It's still a pavlova: crisp meringue, soft centre and cream. But the quince cheese adds a completely different texture, the poached fruit brings the flavour of the season, and the almonds and thyme make it feel just that little bit special.

It's also a lovely reminder that homemade preserves don't have to stay in jars or sit on a cheeseboard. Sometimes they're the beginning of an entirely new pudding.

So, if you've made quince cheese this autumn, put a little aside. You might just find that its next outing is the best one yet ... And if you haven't made quince cheese? Well, that might be your next kitchen adventure.

Quince Cheese Pavlova with Poached Quince, Cream & Thyme - The Recipe

Ingredients

For the pavlova

• 4 large egg whites (approximately 120–140g)

• 240–280g caster sugar (twice the weight of the egg whites)

• 1 tsp cornflour

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

• 2–3 tbsp homemade quince cheese

• A little water to loosen the quince cheese

  
  

For the poached quince

• 2 quinces

• 250ml water

• 200g caster sugar

  
  

For the topping

• 300ml double cream

• 20–25g flaked almonds

• A few sprigs of fresh thyme

• A little reserved quince poaching syrup, optional

  
  

Method

1. Make the French meringue

Preheat the oven to 100°C fan / 120°C conventional. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds its shape.

Gently fold in the cornflour and white wine vinegar.

2. Shape the pavlova

Spoon the meringue onto the prepared tray and shape into a round nest, approximately 18–20cm across, with a shallow dip in the middle.

Keep the sides slightly higher than the centre to create a sturdy shell for the topping.

3. Prepare the quince cheese

Put the quince cheese in a small bowl and add a little water, a few drops at a time, until it is soft enough to swirl but still thick and concentrated.

Allow it to cool completely if necessary. You want ribbons of quince, not a runny sauce.

4. Add the quince swirls

Place small dollops of quince cheese around the outer edges of the meringue. Use a skewer to create a few deliberate swirls, keeping most of the quince towards the sides.

Don't overmix. Those distinct amber ribbons will become the chewy, jammy pockets inside the crisp shell.

5. Bake and cool

Bake for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, until the outside feels dry and crisp. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside to cool completely, with the door closed.

The outside should be delicate and crisp, with a softer centre. Allow at least 2 hours for cooling, preferably longer.

6. Poach the quince

Peel, core and slice the quinces into wedges.

Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the quince slices and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit inside the pan, making a small hole in the centre. Lay it over the fruit to help keep the exposed edges moist while the quince poaches.

Simmer gently for around 30–45 minutes, until the quince is tender when pierced with a knife. Keep an eye on the liquid and add a little more water if it evaporates before the fruit is cooked. The quince should remain surrounded by syrup rather than frying or catching on the bottom of the pan. Cooking time will depend on the ripeness and firmness of the fruit, so be sure to keep an eye on it from 20 minutes onwards.

Allow the quince to cool in the syrup, then lift out the slices and drain well. Reserve a little syrup if you like.

7. Prepare the finishing touches

Toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over a low to medium heat until lightly golden, keeping a close eye on them. Leave to cool.

Pick over the thyme and have everything ready for assembly.

8. Assemble the pavlova

Whip the double cream until it forms soft peaks. Spoon it generously into the centre of the completely cooled pavlova.

Arrange the poached quince slices on top, scatter over the toasted almonds and finish with a few sprigs of thyme.

If desired, drizzle over a little reserved quince syrup. Serve shortly after assembling for the best contrast between the crisp meringue and creamy topping.

Jo's Kitchen Notes

• The quince cheese is the secret. Loosen it with water gradually. It needs to be soft enough to marble but concentrated enough to create those chewy pockets.

• Keep the centre white. Concentrate the quince cheese towards the outer edges for that lovely contrast between crisp, amber-swirled shell and snowy, soft middle.

• Don't rush the cooling. The pavlova must be completely cold before you add the cream.

• Make ahead: Bake the meringue a day ahead and keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Poach the quince ahead too, but assemble just before serving.

• I deliberately left the whipped cream unsweetened. Between the sweet meringue and the concentrated quince cheese, there's plenty of sweetness already, and the poached quince brings a lovely, slightly sharp edge that keeps everything balanced. Don't be tempted to sweeten the cream — that little contrast is part of what makes this pudding work.

• Difficulty: Intermediate. The individual techniques are straightforward, but the marbling, baking and cooling need a little care.

• Timing guide: approximately 30 minutes preparation, 30–45 minutes poaching, 1 hour 30 minutes baking, plus at least 2 hours cooling. Allow roughly 4½–5 hours overall, including cooling, with some tasks done alongside one another.