Looks like fall in a glass!

I find exactly what I’ve been looking for. Like a gigantic crate of quince. Or a giant pile of adorable parsnips. Or both.

Yummy and toasted!

I had been looking for quince for WEEKS and finally got there on the right day. I can honestly say I’ve had my fill of them…for another week or so, at least.

All kinds of fruits and stuff just peekin' out there.

When I also ran into the aforementioned parsnips, I knew what I had to do. I had to get some pears! The step after that was a little hazy, but I knew I had once scribbled a note along the lines of “quince custard, pear and parsnip compote” and it had been nagging me quietly since it started getting chilly out.

The layer of oats reminds me of dried leaves on the ground.

Of course, such a smooth, squishy dish needed a bit of crunch and toastiness, so I turned to my friend, good old Mister Oat. I love Mister Oat! He’s healthy, gets included in my breakfast almost every day lately, and makes a damn fine cookie.

So creamy...

I like what I came up with here because even though it involves several steps, they’re very simple and actually require very few ingredients. The resulting warm parfait-thing is surprisingly (relatively) healthy and very much an elegant autumn-type dessert.

Oh, quince.

The quince adds a lovely color to the other-wise, well, oatmeal-colored dessert. While the components (quince aside, because YUM) don’t taste like much on their own, together they really do make a harmonious glassful of comfort.

Unusual but so very very good.

Autumn Quince Parfait

First, Poach Some Quince!

1. 4 ripe quince
2. 4 cups water
3. 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar (add more if the liquid isn’t sweet enough for you)
4. 1 vanilla pod
5. Splash of white wine (optional)

Peel and core the quince,then cut into slices. Place in a large pot with the other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours, until the quince has turned pink-orange and is soft but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.

Then, Toast Some Oats!

1. 1/2 cup rolled oats

Place the oats in a small, dry frying pan over medium-high heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Once fragrant and visibly toasted, remove from pan and let cool.

Now It’s Time to Poach Some Other Stuff!

1. 1 pear (not too ripe – you want it nice and firm so it doesn’t get mushy)
2. 1 large parsnip or 2 smaller ones
3. 1/4-1/2 cup quince poaching liquid (just enough to cover)

Dice the pear and parsnip into equal sized cubes (you basically want a brunoise). Place in a saucepan and add just enough of the quince liquid to cover, then simmer until the parsnips are cooked through. Set aside.

Better Get Ready for the Custard!

1. 100 mL/3.4 fl oz./scant 1/2 cup quince poaching liquid
2. 2 egg yolks, beaten

Place the liquid in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Gradually pour the hot liquid into the yolks, whisking constantly, then return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain and set aside.

Then You Put it All Together!

Start with all your ingredients (except the oats) slightly warmed. Layer a spoonful of the pear/parsnip compote in the bottom of a glass, then add a spoonful or two of the custard. Add a couple of wedges of quince, then more custard, then a little more compote. Top with custard, another slice or two of quince and a generous sprinkling of toasted oats. Serve immediately.

You could seriously just eat this for breakfast if you wanted – it’s pretty low in added sugar and the only fat comes from the egg yolks. I love that two of the components reuse part of another component – that’s another reason why it seems like such a simple dessert despite its layered, multi-component nature.

Mmm, so creamy and spicy.

This recipe was created out of a need to use up egg yolks. I’m always ending up with extra yolks, because I like making meringue so much. And my standard cupcake recipe only has whites in it.

I would so make this again. You should make it at least once.

Even though I love homemade ice cream, I know I can’t make it as nice as I could if I had an ice cream maker. So I decided to stop short and just make a custard.

If I owned a restaurant I would definitely serve this as a fall dessert. In teacups, of course.

I have no idea where I got the idea to make a chai-flavored custard. I just know that once I had the idea, there was no turning back. And I had to add vanilla bean. Just because chai is always better with vanilla.

Look at that color! It's not caramel but it sure looks like it.

Just like there was no turning back once I dipped the spoon into the little teacup.

Oops...I didn't mean to eat that much.

I preferred this custard hot, though, just like the tea itself, it’s equally delicious cold. Just keep in mind that it will want to form a skin very quickly as it cools, so if you’ll be serving it cold you should cover it with plastic like you would for a curd.

Vanilla Chai Custard

I went out and bought this teacup and saucer just for the photo. See how dedicated I am? (They were $1 at Goodwill...shhh)

2 cups whole milk

1 whole star anise

6-8 whole cloves

6-8 allspice berries

1 small cinnamon stick (about 4″ long)

6-8 white peppercorns

1-2 crushed green cardamom pods

1 small vanilla bean (I used a small, about 4″ Tahitian bean)

2-3 Tbsp looseleaf English Breakfast tea

6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Pinch fine salt

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Place the milk, spices and tea in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds and add the seeds and pod to the milk. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Remove immediately once it comes to a low boil. Allow the milk to steep in the tea and spices for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk until no lumps remain. With a large slotted spoon, remove the cinnamon stick, vanilla pod and as much tea and whole spice as you can from the milk, then pour it into the yolk mixture by fourths, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Whisk in the salt, strain into a clean medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the custard thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter. If serving hot, pour into individual teacups and serve immediately. If serving cold, pour into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed down onto the surface, with holes poked into it to allow steam to escape. Chill at least 2 hours in the fridge.

This would make a great fall dessert, for a somewhat fancy Thanksgiving dinner or a sit-down Halloween meal. But it’s just as good now in the spring, because chai is delicious any time of year. You could serve it cold as the ending to a casual spring or summer meal, or as a treat to a group of tea-loving friends. Basically, this is delicious, and you should make it.