Preparation time 20 mins, plus 4-8 hours for quince cooking

Serves 6

This recipe might seem like a lot of work is required but cooking quinces is worth it! Double the poached quinces recipe and eat leftover quinces for up to 2 weeks for breakfast or dessert. Poached quinces can also be added to cakes or tarts.

Ingrediants

Poached Quinces

6 quinces washed and peeled and cut into sixths, cores reserved

1 vanilla bean

1 stick cinnamon

juice of 1 lemon

9 cups water

4 1/2 cups sugar

Crumble Topping

100g plain flour

65g brown sugar

50g ground walnuts, for best results shell fresh walnuts then blitz in a food processor (you can substitute ground almonds)

30g walnuts, lightly toasted in a frypan with a 1 tbspn caster sugar and roughly chopped

75g butter chopped

1 tbpsn finely grated orange zest

Quince Icecream

1/2 litre good quality vanilla icecream (or make your own)

1 cup reserved quince poaching liquid reduced to a syrup over medium heat to 1/3 cup strained and cooled

Method

Poached Quinces

Preheat oven to 150C.

Heat water and sugar in a large heavy based saucepan until sugar has dissolved.

Place cores in a piece of muslin and add to saucepan with quinces and tie, vanilla bean, cinnamon and lemon juice. Make sure sugar syrup covers the quinces otherwise add a little more water and sugar (2 parts water to 1 part sugar). Cover with a baking paper cut to fit and a lid and cook for 4-8 hours until quince is deep red, do not stir. Cool. Poached Quinces will keep covered in syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Remove approximately 3/4 of quince pieces and place in one large buttered  or six individual baking dishes.

Crumble

Preheat oven to 180C

Combine flour, sugar, ground and chopped nuts in a bowl. Rub in butter and rind using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (You can double this or any crumble mixture and freeze half for later use as a quick dessert.)

Spread crumble mixture over quinces and bake for 45-50mins nntil crumble is golden and bubbling.

Serve with Quince Icecream or vanilla icecream and double cream.

Quince Icecream

Remove icecream from freezer and soften slightly mix in reduced quince syrup, return to freezer for 30 mins or until needed.