We’ve recently fallen in love with quinces. Whilst not being unlike pears to look at, they have an amazingly rich and exotic perfume. They cannot be eaten raw and respond best to slow cooking, hence baking them in the oven. Raw quinces, whole, freeze well, though it softens them up a bit, so the cooking time will be shorter by about 25%

4 quinces

1 large cinnamon stick (about 16cm long)

2 bay leaves

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons of clear honey (chestnut honey works well and gives a nutty flavour)

4 tablespoons of Demerara sugar

• Set the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4

• Wash the quinces and rub off the fine white fur (if they are the variety that has it). Do not peel. Cut into quarters, removing the seeds and inner hard core

• Arrange quince quarters skin side down in an ovenproof dish so that they are tightly packed together. Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, lemon zest and juice

• Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle over the sugar. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the fruit. Cover with foil and bake for around 2 hours. (Check after 90 minutes). Check for sweetness, you may need to add a little more sugar or honey. When cooked the quinces should be soft, but hold their shape

• Remove cinnamon and bay leaves, and allow to cool. Serve with Greek yoghurt, mascarpone or Prune and Armagnac Parfait