Few people command L.A.’s sweets scene like Shannon Swindle, one of the driving forces behind Tom Colicchio’s much-loved Century City outpost, Craft Los Angeles. As pastry chef, Swindle’s creations run the gamut of salty-sweet drop biscuits to fork-tender tarts. His ice cream game is unparalleled, his plating artful, his disposition humble. Suffice to say, we all wish we had a Swindle in our family to help elevate our holiday feasting.
Now for that harsh moment when reality creeps in: There can be only one Shannon Swindle. But while many of us won’t enjoy his company at home this season, the James Beard Award semifinalist was kind enough to share his new recipe for quince brown betty—which means we can all bring a little Craft magic to the table this year.
Serve this comforting fall-fruit cousin-to-a-crumble and become the star of your holiday party, we dare you.
Quince Brown Betty Recipe
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
8 medium quince, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 1.5-liter bottle of dry white wine
2 cups of organic raw sugar
¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt
2 vanilla beans, scraped
1 lemon, zested, peeled and juiced 8 ounces of brioche or challah, sliced thin
4 ounces of browned butter 4 ounces of melted butter
¼ cup of light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt
Method
Prepare the quince by placing all ingredients in a large sauce pot, then bring them to a gentle simmer over low heat. Poach the quince until it is soft and the liquid has reduced a bit. Remove the quince from the poaching liquid and increase the heat, reducing the liquid to a thick syrup.
Prepare the brioche or challah crumbs by toasting the slices in a 350-degree oven, about 15 to 20 minutes or until browned all the way through. Allow the toast to cool to room temperature, then pulse it into coarse crumbs in a food processor.
To brown the butter, place it in a small sauce pot over medium heat, melt and then cook it until the solids caramelize and the butter smells nutty. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Spoon the poached quince into a casserole dish or iron pan, dot it with the 4 ounces of additional butter. Drizzle about ½ cup of the reduced poaching liquid over the quince, and top it all with the crumbs. Bake the brown betty at 350 degrees until the fruit is bubbling, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or crème fraîche, drizzling the remaining poaching liquid over each serving.