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Pâte de coings
Quince paste
Pâte de coings: Provençal quince paste, one of the thirteen Christmas Eve desserts
On Christmas Eve in Provence the gros souper ends with the treize desserts, thirteen small sweets set out together and left on the table until 27 December. Pâte de coings, a firm, glowing amber quince paste cut into squares and rolled in sugar, is nearly always among them, beside nougat, dried fruit and fougasse. It is simply quince pulp and sugar cooked down slowly until it pulls away from the pan, so it is vegan and gluten free, and it keeps for months. Serve it in small cubes, or with a sharp cheese. Chef's tip: cook the quinces whole with their skins and cores, which hold most of the natural pectin, and only sieve them afterwards.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb quincesrubbed clean of fuzz
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 ½ lb granulated sugarroughly, see step 3
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugarfor rolling
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the whole 2 ¼ lb quinces in a large pan with 4 ¼ cups water, cover and simmer for 40–50 minutes, until a knife slides into the centre with no resistance.
45 minStep 2: Lift them out, cut into quarters and cut away the stalks and hard core tips. Press the flesh and skins through a sieve or food mill into a bowl, or blend and then sieve.
15 minStep 3: Weigh the purée and use the same weight of 1 ½ lb granulated sugar, or a little less for a fruitier paste. Put both in a heavy, wide pan with 2 tbsp lemon juice.
Step 4: Cook over a low-medium heat, stirring with a long wooden spoon (it spits), for 60–80 minutes. It darkens from yellow to deep orange-red. It is done when the spoon leaves a clear trail across the base for a second or two and the paste comes away from the sides in one mass.
70 minStep 5: Spread it 2 cm thick in a tin lined with baking paper and smooth the top. A common mistake is stopping too soon: under-cooked paste never sets firm enough to cut.
Step 6: Leave uncovered in a cool, dry place for 1–2 days, until firm and no longer tacky. Cut into 2–3 cm squares and roll in 1 ¾ oz caster sugar. Store between sheets of baking paper in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pâte de coings take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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