Goat Cheese Flan with Poached Quince

I always look forward to quince season. There’s something about the process of watching this oddly shaped and textured fruit transform into the most delectable and uniquely flavored rosy compote that is so interesting and enjoyable. Whether it's poached fruit, jam or membrillo, quince arrives just at the time we need it as a lot of the stone fruit of summer quietly escapes our grasp for another year.

I was just gifted with a bounty of fresh pineapple quince. An old friend introduced me to a new friend who has a tree in his back yard. It seems unusually early in the season but I’m more than thrilled. The aroma is transformative and lingers for days on end.

Cheese flan is somewhere along the spectrum of custard and cheesecake. It’s found in Latin culture but is usually prepared using cream cheese and evaporated milk. For this preparation, I decided to use some goat cheese to add a layer of complexity that I thought would go well with the poached quince. For the liquid I use reduced ratios of wet ingredients and heavy cream and some Muscat wine. The result is a kind of dense but creamy custard that really delivers an incredible pop of flavor. The light caramel complements the quince and presents a nice counterpoint for the goat cheese.

The quince takes some time to peel and poach, but the reward is tremendous. The flan is very easy and quick to prepare and bakes in 25 – 30 minutes. The flavors of both the flan and the fruit ripen overnight. If you do this in two steps, it will seem like no work at all. What you will have is a great celebration of this beautiful autumn.


Bench notes:
- As always, be very careful when working with caramel. Caramel burns really hurt, so always protect your hands and arms. As it reaches the right color, pour it into the ramekins and use a mitt or towel to carefully swirl just for a moment. The caramel does not have to go up the sides of the ramekin more than a little bit.
- Raw quince are quite hard, so be careful when peeling and cutting into quince. Use a very sharp chef’s knife and a non-slip work surface and watch your fingers. I find it easier to core if they are first cut in quarters.
- I keep the poaching liquid for the quince very simple so the true flavor comes forward without competing with the flan and the caramel. The syrup left over from the quince can be used to flavor drinks or drizzle over ice cream. You can also use it as a base to make sorbet or ice cream.
- If you can’t find an inexpensive Sauternes or Muscat, use a Monbazillac or Viognier or other favorite white wine that has a very slight sweet edge.
- Don't be tempted to bake it much longer than the recommended time. They will firm up as they cool. The baked flans rest overnight in the refrigerator to better create the liquid caramel sauce. The sugar has a chance to liquefy and they are easier to unmold. Once they are unmolded, let the flans sit for awhile until they can be served at room temperature. I’ve also eaten them a couple of days later straight out of the refrigerator. They are completely different – very dense with a mellow cheesy flavor. Also really delicious but in a different way!
- I’ve also made this flan base and steeped it overnight with a pinch of rosemary. The next day, I strain it out, bake and serve with quince, fresh fig or pear compote. It would also be delicious with an apple sauté.


Goat Cheese Flan with Poached Quince
Makes 4 servings using 3 1/4” diameter ramekins

3/4 C sugar
1/4 C water

4 oz goat cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 C sugar
pinch salt
1/3 C cream
1/4 C white wine, such as Beaumes de Venise Muscat, Sauternes, Viognier or Monbazillac
2 eggs

Prepare caramel by placing sugar and water over medium high heat. If the sugar spatters up the sides of the pan, brush down the sides of the pot with a brush dipped in water. Cook the caramel until it is a medium amber. Take off the heat and wait a few seconds until it darkens a bit more on its own. Pour enough into the ramekins to coat the bottom and swirl just a bit up the sides.

In a food processor, blend goat cheese, cream cheese, sugar, salt, cream, wine and for just a minute or so. Pulse just until thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared ramekins.

Bake in water bath @ 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and chill overnight.

To unmold, set the ramekins in about an inch of water that has been simmered and taken off the heat. Leave them there for about a minute. Remove them and run a very thin knife blade or small offset spatula around the rim. Invert onto a serving plate and give it a good tap. It should slip right out along with the liquefied caramel sauce. Serve at room temperature with poached quince.

Poached Quince

2 – 3 quince
2 C water
3/4 C sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Take off heat and add the lemon juice. As you peel and core each quince, cut them into quarters and place them in the lemon syrup to keep the oxidation at a minimum. Bring the quince and syrup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quince are tender and have turned a deep pinkish orange. Cool and transfer to a clean airtight container and chill.

Peach Semifreddo

Peaches are so superb right now it’s hard to resist buying them in great quantity. I found some amazing peaches at our local farmer’s market that were brightly blushing, fabulously fragrant and sensationally sweet. Nothing compares to a ripe and juicy peach full of the unmistakable flavor of summer. Let’s jump at the chance to enjoy the last of this season’s goodness before they make their exit for another year.

I set out to make something very simple and light that would showcase their luscious fresh flavor. This is a soft and subtle celebration of peaches, perfectly cool and creamy after a delicious meal, a gentle and sweet reminder of the good grace of this magnificent fruit.

Bench notes:
- The peaches for this dessert must be at peak ripeness or you won’t have the desired flavor. Find the best peaches you can get your hands on! Adjust the sugar in the recipe according to the sweetness of your peaches.
- I like this on its own, but you can serve it with berries, almond cookies or a very light sprinkle of almond praliné.


Peach Semifreddo
Serves 6 to 8

3 large or 4 medium fresh ripe peaches
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup + 2 T sugar, divided
3 egg whites
1 C heavy cream, chilled
1 t kirsch or 1/4 t almond extract

Line an 8” x 4” loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on each 8” side. You can also place a strip of parchment paper on top of the plastic to help form smoother sides.

Coarsely chop the peaches and place in a food processor with the lemon juice and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Process until you have a smooth puree. Press the puree through a sieve to remove bits of skin. Taste for a balance of sugar.

Beat egg whites until they are opaque and hold soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar just a little bit at a time, increasing speed to high. Beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.

Whip chilled cream with kirsch or almond extract just until it holds soft peaks.

Gently fold meringue into whipped cream, then fold into the peach puree. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top until it’s level and fold the ends of the parchment paper and plastic wrap over to cover. Place in your freezer until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.

Run a thin knife or small metal spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen the semifreddo. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and invert. Carefully pull off the pan and its lining.

Slice with a sharp knife and serve immediately.

Saffron Ice Cream with Figs and Orange Gastrique

I seem to be making quite a lot of ice cream and sorbets this season. The weather definitely calls for it but I also find it a very fun and delicious medium for so many different flavors and textures and combinations.

We've enjoyed saffron in paella, bouillabaisse and in some desserts. It's such an intriguing and elusive spice, the tiniest pinch goes a long way. Saffron traces back to ancient Mediterranean civilizations where it was used as a perfume, medicine, dye and divine offering. It also flourished throughout Asia and found its way to Pennsylvania in the 1700s by way of Europe. Iran, Spain and India are now the major producers, with Iran producing the most intense variety.

This ice cream is one of my favorites. It’s rich without being heavy, very flavorful without being extreme and incredibly soothing and satisfying. It contains no eggs and does not require the making of custard. The ingredients are simply whisked together and chilled. It’s a cinch to make.

I also happened to have some super ripe figs that were just about ready to blow so I made an orange gastrique and served the ice cream with drizzled figs. Very, very end-of-summer-ish. Get your saffron on!


Bench notes:
- Buy saffron in small quantities, pack it in an airtight container and store in a cool dark place.

Saffron Ice Cream

1 C heavy cream
scant 1/4 t saffron threads, loosely packed
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1/4 C + 2 T sugar
pinch of salt
1 T lemon juice, to taste

Bring the cream to a slow simmer, take off the heat and add the saffron threads to bloom the flavor. Cool the saffron cream.

Whisk the saffron cream and buttermilk together. Add the sugar, pinch of salt and the lemon juice, to taste. Adjust the sugar to your taste if you'd like a sweeter ice cream. Chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Freeze according to your machine’s instructions. Pour into a clean airtight container. Put a piece of plastic wrap on the surface, cover and place in your freezer to firm up.

Orange Gastrique

1/2 C orange juice
2 T sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar

1 pint fresh figs

Combine orange juice, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil and reduce, turning the heat down to medium-low. Continue cooking until it thickens and is reduced by about half. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.

Plum Ginger Upside-Down Cake

I absolutely love the combination of ginger and plums. And although we often think of ginger cakes and gingerbreads as pastry reserved for the fall and holidays, this cake is very easily enjoyed now when we have so many wonderful plums at our fingertips.

This particular cake recipe comes from Leslie Mackie and Macrina, her bakery in Seattle. In contrast to the darker, heavier and spicier ginger cakes of the fall season, this one is simple, light, supremely moist and extremely delicious. It’s perfect for these transitional days as we move from the long summer laziness of August to the brisk winds of activity in September.


Bench notes:
- I cut the cake portion of the recipe in half because I wanted a greater ratio of fruit to cake. Double it if you want more cake and use 3 whole eggs. The original recipe calls for pears but recommends the substitution of ripe plums, nectarines or apples. I also threw in a few fresh raspberries.
- Putting a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan will help keep all the fruit in tact when you turn out the cake.
- The cake bakes slowly at a low temperature to create a wonderful brown sugar caramelization with the fruit. Since ovens vary so broadly, check the cake at 1 hour.



Plum Ginger Upside-Down Cake
adapted from Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery & Café Cookbook
serves 10

For the topping

3 T unsalted butter @ room temperature
1/2 C light brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
4-5 medium to large ripe plums

For the cake

4 oz unsalted butter @ room temperature
1/4 C + 2 T light brown sugar
1 T peeled, grated ginger
1 egg + 1 yolk
1/3 C molasses
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 C buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Oil a 9" springform pan and line the bottom with a 10" circle of parchment paper. You want a bit of the paper to come up the side of the pan.

Cut the plums into 1/2" slices. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and cinnamon over medium heat for about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan, completely coating the parchment paper. Place the sliced plums on top of the butter-sugar mixture in overlapping circles so that none of the bottom of the pan shows through.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and pale. Add the grated ginger and beat 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed and making sure that each egg is fully incorporated. Slowly pour in the molasses and mix thoroughly. The mixture will look like it’s breaking but it will come together when the dry ingredients are added.

Alternately add a third of the flour mixture and half the buttermilk to the batter, starting and ending with the flour. Finish the mixing by folding with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just absorbed. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the plum-lined pan and level the surface.

Bake for about 1 hour - 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake and release the sides of the springform pan. Cover the cake with a serving platter and carefully invert. Lift the bottom of the pan off the cake and gently peel away the parchment paper.

Honey Rosemary Ice Cream

I happen to have some very delicious honey and with all the great fruit in abundance right now I thought it would be a very good time to make some honey ice cream. And since I love honey and rosemary together, I threw some into the batch.

I keep the mixture simple to make by eliminating eggs and the need to cook a custard. The result is a soft and delicious ice cream with a clean bright flavor that can be matched with all kinds of fruit and all sorts of cookies from graham crackers and chocolate wafers to pain d’amande and pine nut cookies. Not to mention madeleines!


Bench notes:
- When I refer to "rosemary sprigs" in the recipe, I mean a sprig like those in the photo. Each one is about 4” long, so the recommended amount would be about 6” of rosemary sprig. This doesn’t need to be precise since you’ll be tasting for strength during the steeping period. The sprigs are steeped whole; no need to chop or mince.
- This ice cream would be great with any stone fruit, figs, pears, oranges or blackberries.


Honey Rosemary Ice Cream

2 C heavy cream
1 C whole milk
1/2 C honey
1/4 C sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 sprigs of rosemary

Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and add the honey, sugar and salt. Simmer over medium low heat until the sugar and honey are fully dissolved. Remove from heat and add the rosemary sprigs. Cover and steep for about 20 minutes to a half hour, tasting every 10 minutes for strength. When you have the right flavor, remove the rosemary sprigs and pour the mixture into an airtight container. Chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker. Pour into a clean airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and cover with the lid. Place in your freezer to firm up.

Blue Cheese Cookies with Fresh Fig Jam

Now we all know that fresh fruit and good cheese can make a fabulous dessert. And we all know how great figs and blue cheese are together. With fig season in full bloom, I’ve been wanting to make some figgy type cookies. There are so many incredible things to do with figs, but I thought a simple blue cheese cookie that is a little savory with a balance of sugar and salt would be great to pair with a simple fresh fig jam. An obvious but nonetheless delicious thought. It’s similar to the approach I took with my Fig & Goat Cheese Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, which I highly recommend. But this time I decided to bake the cheese into the cookie. It’s a fun alternative to every day cookies and reinforces the cheese and fruit dessert loveliness.

Use your favorite blue cheese in this cookie. It should be fairly assertive to stand up to the fig jam. And although I haven’t tried it, I think these sandwich cookies would go well on a lazy sunny afternoon patio with a nice petite syrah or a chilled Semillon or Monbazillac.



Bench notes:
- Substitute a mild honey for the sugar in the Fig Jam if you’d like. I also sometimes add a few fresh raspberries.
- Cook the fruit slowly on very low heat to preserve the full flavor. Use a splash of fresh lemon juice to perk up fruit if the taste seems a little flat.
- The next time I make these I would definitely press some finely chopped walnuts into the surface of the cookie.
- The cookies would probably also taste great with cherries poached in port or poached pears and walnuts.
- The cookies without the filling can be kept in an airtight container. I highly recommend waiting until the next day to serve them. I think it gives the cookie a chance to meld all the flavors together beautifully. Once you fill them with the jam, they will soften.
- Other great fig desserts and pastries to create now are A Provençal Sundae, Fresh Fig Raspberry Galette and Panna Cotta with Fig Compote and Orange Granite.


Blue Cheese Cookies with Fresh Fig Jam
Makes about 24 2” cookies or 12 sandwich cookies

Blue Cheese Cookies

6 oz blue cheese, softened
4 oz butter, softened
1/4 C + 2 T granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 C flour

Blend blue cheese, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor until creamy. Add flour and pulse until mixture just starts to come together and forms a clump. Gather dough and place on a piece of plastic. Flatten into a disk and place another piece of plastic over the top. Roll out the dough between the two sheets of plastic to about 1/4” thickness. Slide the dough in the plastic onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and gently lift off the top sheet of plastic. Use a 2” cookie cutter or a sharp knife to cut out cookies. Transfer to the baking sheets. You want the dough to remain cold, so work quickly.

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden, rotating baking pans halfway through. Cool on a wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Fresh Fig Jam

1 pint of fresh figs
2 – 3 T water
1 - 2 T sugar, to taste

Chop the figs and place in a saucepan with the water and sugar. Cook on low heat until the figs are soft and juicy, stirring to prevent scorching. Add a bit more water if necessary as it cooks and taste to adjust sugar. Pull off the heat and cool.

Assemble the cookies and serve immediately.