Quince and Cardamom Streusel Pie
Poached quince, vanilla, lemon and cardamom streusel turn a blind-baked crust into a cozy fruit pie with a crisp brown sugar top.
Prep 15 min · Cook 2 hr 5 min · Total 6 hr 20 min · Makes 1 9-inch pie (8 slices)
Ingredients
- One half recipe Easy Pie Dough, shaped and chilled in a pie plate
- 140 grams unsalted butter
- 110 grams all purpose flour
- 85 grams light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 quince, peeled, cored, and chopped into half-inch pieces
- 100 grams granulated sugar, plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 vanilla bean, split with the seeds scraped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 quart water
Directions
- For the filling, put the quince, sugar, water, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and zest into a medium sized pot. Set the lid on top and bring it to a gentle simmer over low heat. Keep it simmering on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring carefully now and then, until the fruit starts to blush pink. Take the pot off the heat and let the quince come to room temperature in its own juices. Taste for sweetness, since quince is not especially predictable, and add more sugar if it needs it.
- For the topping, work the butter and brown sugar together with your hands. Add the flour, cardamom, and salt, then stir until everything comes together. Chill the mixture for at least 1 hour before you use it.
- For the crust, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Fit foil or parchment paper into the chilled, shaped crust, add pie weights, dried beans work just fine here, and move it straight into the hot oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then lift out the liner and weights. Put the pie back on the bottom rack and continue baking until the base is lightly golden.
- Take the pie out of the oven and lower the temperature to 350 degrees F.
- To assemble, spoon the filling into the crust and set the pie in the 350 degrees F oven, centered on the bottom rack. Bake for 15 minutes, then scatter the chilled topping over it in crumbles. Return the pie to the oven for another 30 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping has turned golden brown. If the crust is getting darker than you want, loosely cover those spots with foil to shield them from the oven heat. Let the pie cool all the way before serving.