Quince pudding

Very few people in the United States are familiar with quince. Some have heard of it, but few have seen one and even fewer have tasted it. In my native country of Romania, however, quince trees are very common, especially in the south of the country, and the fruit is a staple of our diet. The fruit feels rather like a hard apple, but with a hint of fuzz on it almost (but not quite) like that of a peach. The taste is slightly like pineapple, and if you eat the fruit straight off the tree it might be too tart for your taste. But it is a fruit which, if you stew it, has a flavor that is simply exquisite. And so even if you have tasted a quince, but never tasted quince pudding, you should still give this recipe a try. I would be very surprised if you don't fall in love with its distinctive and delicious flavor.

As long as you actually have quinces (you can buy them seasonally in supermarkets like Meijer and sometimes even Wal-Mart), making quince pudding is fairly straightforward. You will need:

500g quince (or 1 lb) cut in cubes

100g sugar (or 4-5 oz)

1 cup water

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

100g butter (or 4-5 oz)

Vanilla essence (a few drops)

After cutting the quince into cubes, use a food processor for just a few seconds to turn it into smaller chunks and pieces. Chop it, but do not turn it into a pulp. This can be done by hand if you wish.

Pour the chopped/diced quince into a saucepan or pot. Add the cup of water and boil it for 10 minutes until the fruit softens. Then add the sugar and boil for a further 2 minutes. Then add the butter, cut into cubes, and stir continually for another minute until the butter is melted.

Separately in another dish, mix the milk and cornstarch. Pour this over the quince mixture in the saucepan and boil for another 2 minutes or until it thickens. Remove from the heat and add the few drops of vanilla, mixing it evenly into the pudding.

Allow the pudding to cool, but (although it is good even when served cold) it is best served warm, ideally with some fresh cream (whipped) on top. This recipe makes about 4 generous portions, and can be refrigerated and reheated the next day.