Quince Paste (Membrillo)

Sweet and tart with a fruity fragrance that evokes the fall apple or pear harvest, quince paste delivers a lot in a recipe that only require a few ingredients.

Poached Pears

Poached pears make a great dessert on their own, but my favorite use for them is as an ingredient in baked goods. Poaching the pears before using them in quick breads, muffins, cakes, and pies gives them vibrant, spicy flavor and ensures that they won't be undercooked or dried out. Feel free to customize the spice combination that you use to your taste.

Quince Hand Pies

These pies are delicate, small enough to eat in two bites (or one if you're a busy line cook) but satisfying despite their daintiness.

Quince Brandy

The heady perfume and brisk tartness of quince are perfectly complemented by a fruity cognac, and a combination of the flavors can result in absolutely phenomenal Sidecars.

Sugar-Roasted Plums with Balsamic and Rosemary Syrup

With the late summer avalanche of corn, tomatoes, and bell peppers, it’s easy to overlook the humble plum. Subtly flavored and modestly sized, plums aren’t as flashy or culinarily ubiquitous as other September produce. It’s unusual to spot them in...

Cranberry Quince Chutney

This wintry chutney, spiced with clove and bright with cranberries and tangerine, is versatile for the holidays either as a gift or on a cheese tray. Plus, the natural pectin in the cranberries helps it set even with a short cooking time, so you can spend less time preserving and more time partying

Higos en Miel (Poached Figs)

Tree or no tree, higos en miel were made whenever they were in season. The "figs in honey" were sticky and sweet, their tiny seeds tickling my mouth; I've always thought that sunshine would taste just like one of those translucent orbs.

Apple Compote

With carefully shaped slices of fruit and an aromatic poaching syrup flavored with caramel, cider, and spices, this old-fashioned apple compote proves that attention to detail can elevate even the humblest recipe into something wonderful.

Flavorful Fig Syrup

Eating a fresh fig straight from the tree is one of life's singular pleasures, but getting that amazing fig flavor into drinks is a bit of a challenge. The solution is to infuse a combination of slightly juicy oven-dried figs and store-bought dried figs into a simple syrup.

Plum Sorbet

This sweet and tart sorbet is full of the jammy flavor of stonefruit, perfect for topping buttery cakes or for serving with other summer fruit desserts.