Quince and Apple Dome Recipe is a fashioned into thin discs, which serve as a base for poached red, green, and yellow apples, quince poached in a Sauterne and then caramelized, and dried fruits. From Michael Hu of New York, NY

12 servings

Puff Pastry Discs:

3 oz [85 g] cocoa paste, melted

3 oz [85 g] almond paste

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Confectioners' sugar

1. Combine the cocoa paste and almond paste in a mixing bowl.

2. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on the puff pastry sheet. Roll up lengthwise into a log, 2" to 3" [5 cm to 7.6 cm]

in diameter. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F [205°C]. Slice the log into 1/2"[1.3 cm] slices. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and

roll out the slices as thinly as possible, 4" to 5" [10 cm to 12.7 cm] in diameter.

4. Bake the discs in between parchment paper on a sheet pan with several sheet pans on top until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

5. Cut the discs while still warm into 4" [10 cm] circles. With a 1" [2.5 cm] circle, cut a round out of each that is

slightly off-center.

Streusel Topping:

4 oz [113 g] almond paste

4 oz [113 g] brown sugar

4 oz [113 g] granulated sugar

3 oz [85 g] muesli

9.5 oz [269 g] unsalted butter, divided

11 oz [312 g] bread flour

2 tsp [8 g] cinnamon

1/2 tsp [2 g]

salt

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the almond paste, both sugars, and the muesli.

2. Add 4 oz [113 g] of the butter. Add the dry ingredients.

3. Melt the remaining 5.5 oz [156 g] butter. Add it to the almond paste mixture.

4. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F [175°C]. Push the dough through a cooling rack. Bake on a parchment-lined half sheet pan until the outside is crunchy but the inside is still soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

Poached Quince:

1 qt [946 ml] water

2 lb [907 g] granulated sugar

8 liq oz [227 ml] Sauterne wine

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

2 tsp [8 g] anise seed

3 large quince, peeled and cored

1. Combine the water, sugar, Sauterne, vanilla bean, and anise in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2. Add the quince and simmer until a skewer will go through the center of the fruit. Remove the quince and place it in an ice bath. Reserve the quince in the poaching liquid.

Poached Apple Slices:

1 red apple

1 green apple

1 yellow apple

1.5 qt [1.4 lt] reserved quince poaching liquid

1. Slice the apples into thin slices using a mandoline.

2. In a saucepan bring the poaching liquid to a boil and pour it over the apple slices. Allow to cool.

Sautéed Dried Fruits:

3.5 oz [99 g] dried strawberries, cut into small dice

3.5 oz [99 g] dried cherries, cut into small dice

3.5 oz [99 g] dried apricots, cut into small dice

3.5 oz [99 g] dried figs, cut into small dice

8 liq oz [237 ml] Calvados or apple brandy

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small dice

6 oz [170 g] unsalted butter

1. In the mixing bowl combine the dried fruits and Calvados. Let the fruits soak for 1 hour. Strain.

2. Sauté the dried fruits and half of the diced apples in the butter. Cook so that the apples remain firm.

3. Reserve the remaining diced apples.

Sautéed Quince:

3 oz [85 g] granulated sugar

3 oz [85 g] unsalted butter

3 poached quince, cut into 16 wedges each

4 oz [113 g] Calvados

In a saucepan caramelize the sugar. Stir in the butter. Add the quince and cook until tender and golden brown. Stir in the Calvados.

Caramelized Hazelnuts:

8 oz [227 g] granulated sugar

16 whole hazelnuts, toasted

1. In a saucepan caramelize the sugar.

2. Attach the bamboo skewers to the hazelnuts using a drill-like motion. Dip the hazelnuts into the caramel. Allow the caramel to drip off of the nuts. Reserve 1 Tbs [14 g] of the caramel.

Caramel Apple Cider Sauce:

1 Tbs [14 g] reserved caramel

2 Ths [28 g] unsalted butter

8 liq oz [237 ml] apple cider

3 Tbs reserved quince poaching liquid

1. In a saucepan heat the caramel.

2. Stir in the butter, cider, and poaching liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until it has thickened.

Assembly:

Quince poaching liquid

Puff pastry discs

Caramelized hazelnuts

Caramel apple cider sauce

1. Line twelve 4 oz [118 ml] demisphere molds with apple slices.

2. Place 4 wedges of sautéed quince on top.

3. Combine the dried fruit with the remaining diced apples and 7 oz [198 g] of the streusel. Pack the mixture into the molds on top of the fruit.

4. Pour some of the poaching liquid on top of the fruit.

5. Cut out a small cardboard circle and use it to unmold each sphere.

6. Place each demisphere on a plate. Garnish with a puff pastry disc, caramelized hazelnut, and some caramel apple cider sauce.