I finally got fresh quince at a local farmer’s market in the East Village and I bought 6 pounds of them. After looking everywhere, I guess in my excitement, I overbought. However, I am glad I did. So many good recipes are the result. Check out my last post showcasing poached quince in cranberry vanilla syrup. Also, this Quince Almond Bread is born.
Quince?
Quince is a golden-yellow fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a pear, but it’s far more unusual. It has a tough, aromatic flesh that’s often too hard and tart to eat raw, but when cooked, quince transforms beautifully. It becomes sweet, tender, and deeply fragrant with a flavor that’s a bit floral, like a mix of pear, apple, and even a touch of citrus or vanilla.
In cooking, quince is often used in jams, jellies, and desserts because it has lots of pectin (a natural thickener). Poached quince is also popular, as the fruit turns a stunning pinkish-red when cooked. This fruit has a long history in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisines. It is often paired with savory dishes or spiced for depth and warmth.
Quince flavor is sour when fresh but when cooked it has a lovely floral and fragrant quality. This makes it flexible for sweet or savory dishes.
This sweet, dense quince and almond-studded loaf pan bread is a perfect choice for holiday breakfasts or brunches. To make the bread, grate fresh quince, and chopped slivered blanched almonds. Then knead them into bread dough to create unique flavor and crunch to this beautiful loaf pan bread.
Furthermore, fancy up this recipe by drizzling it with a simple sugar glaze. Whisk together one cup of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of water and pour it over the top of the bread after it has cooled completely. If the glaze is too thick, add more water, a few drops at a time until it has thinned out enough to easily pour over the bread. Add flavor to the glaze by incorporating a few drops of pure vanilla, rum, or almond extract. Lemon and orange flavors would also work well.
Quince Almond Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb fresh quince
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup lukewarm whole milk divided into 1/4 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup blanched almond splinters
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
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Rinse the fresh quince and pat dry. Peel quarter and core each one. Grate the quince quarters into a bowl.
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Add the apple juice and toss together to coat completely. Let stand for 15 minutes.
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Place the all-purpose flour in a large bowl and make an impression in the middle.
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Pour the active dry yeast into the well, sprinkle 1/2 the white granulated sugar over the yeast, and pour 1/2 the lukewarm milk over the sugar and yeast.
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Cover and stow in a warm place for 15 minutes.
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Roughly chop the almond splinters.
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Grease a large (9×14) loaf pan.
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Retrieve the bowl of yeasted dry ingredients from its warm place.
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Mix the contents of the bowl together with the grated fresh quince, salt, egg, melted unsalted butter, the rest of the white granulated sugar, and lukewarm milk.
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Knead in the almond splinters.
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Place the mixture back in the bowl, cover, and let stand for another 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead once more.
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Transfer the dough to the greased loaf pan.
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Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
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Remove from oven. Cool, then slice and serve while the bread is still warm.
Like this Quince almond Bread? Also, check out some of these other delicious recipes:
QUINCE POTATO SPECK SOUP
TURKEY BREAST IN CREAMY QUINCE HORSERADISH SAUCE
QUINCE STREUSEL ICE CREAM
