Apple and Quince Crisp with Rum Raisins

From the kitchen of Carly

Spiced apples and quinces meet buttery, nutmeg-scented crumble, while rum-soaked raisins add deep sweetness and boozy warmth. Brown butter binds the topping into perfect crispy clumps. A grown-up dessert that's worth the slight extra effort.

Apple and Quince Crisp with Rum Raisins

Quince is dense and floral, apple is bright, and together they're a perfect argument for the crisp format. The brown butter topping gets nutmeg and a splash of rum-soaked raisin juice, so every crumb tastes like it's been there all along. Bake it ahead, serve it warm or cool, dress it however you want. This is a proper dessert that doesn't announce itself.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 cupraisins
  • 1 cupdark rum
  • 3/4 cupunsalted butter
  • 2 cupall purpose flour
  • 1 cupsugar
  • 1 tspground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 4 cupwater
  • 3 1/2 cupsugar, divided
  • 2 lbquinces , peeled, quartered, cored
  • 4 largeGala apples, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tbspfresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbspall purpose flour
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 1Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. Simmer the raisins and rum together in a small saucepan for 3 minutes. Pull from the heat, ignite with a match, and let the flames burn out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Move 2 tablespoons of the liquid to a small bowl for the crisp topping.

  2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep simmering until the butter turns golden brown, about 6 minutes. Cool.

  3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, nutmeg, and salt together. Stir in the browned butter and the 2 tablespoons of reserved liquid from the rum raisins until moist clumps form. The raisins and topping can both be made a day ahead; cover each and chill.

  4. In a large saucepan, combine 4 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the quinces and simmer until tender, 15 minutes. Lift from the syrup and cool. Save the syrup for another use. Cut the quinces into 1 inch cubes and tip into a large bowl. The cooked quinces hold a day ahead, covered and chilled.

  5. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Butter a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Add the apples, lemon juice, flour, salt, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and the rum raisin mixture to the bowl with the quinces; toss to blend. Spread evenly in the baking dish and crumble the topping over the surface.

  6. Bake the apple and quince crisp until golden and bubbling, about 55 minutes. Cool at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream or ice cream.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Brown the butter until it smells like toasted hazelnuts, not just until it turns golden. That nutty depth makes the whole topping taste more sophisticated and worth the extra minute of attention.
  • Poach the quinces in sugar syrup first. This softens their dense flesh and keeps them from turning gritty or tough in the final bake. Don't skip this step.
  • The crisp topping and rum raisins hold beautifully in the fridge for a day, so make them ahead and use that time for something else. The whole dish also sits well at room temperature for several hours after baking.
  • Toss the mixed fruit with the rum raisins and their soaking liquid just before assembling. The alcohol keeps things from getting soggy and adds a subtle warmth that vanilla ice cream will bring out.

Variations

  • Skip the rum entirely and use bourbon instead. The crisp will taste smokier and pull toward caramel rather than floral.
  • Swap half the apples for pears if quinces aren't available or you want something faster. You'll lose the floral note but gain softness, so reduce the cooking time to about 45 minutes.
  • Make it less boozy by using apple cider or water for the raisin soak. The crisp won't have that depth, but it'll read cleaner and brighter.
  • Add a tablespoon of ginger to the topping mixture if you like heat. It plays beautifully against brown butter and nutmeg.

Make ahead and storage

Covered, the crisp keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheats gently at 325°F for about 15 minutes. It doesn't freeze well because the fruit releases too much liquid on thaw, but leftovers taste just fine cold or warmed through.