Bolognese quince jam ravioli

(Ravioli dolci di mela cotogna)

Makes approximately 26 ravioli

375 g (13 oz/2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

110 g (3¾ oz) chilled unsalted butter or rendered lard, chopped

75 g (2½ oz/¹/₃ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

100 ml (3½ fl oz) full-cream (whole) milk

2 x 59 g (2¼ oz) free-range or organic eggs, beaten

a pinch of fine sea salt

icing (confectioners’) sugar, to dust

ground cinnamon, to taste

QUINCE JAM

250 g (9 oz) whole quinces

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water

juice of ½ lemon

175 g (6 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) dry Italian white wine

½ cinnamon stick

½ vanilla bean

To make the quince jam, wash, peel and core the quinces. Cut them into pieces roughly 3 x 3 cm (1¼ x 1¼ inches) and place them directly into a bowl of water. Before doing this, add half of the lemon juice into the water. This will stop the quinces from discolouring. Drain the quince pieces and place in a small deep saucepan. Add all other quince jam ingredients except the vanilla bean and begin to cook over medium heat. Slice the vanilla bean lengthways and scrape the seeds from the bean with a blunt knife or spoon. Add both the vanilla seeds and the bean pod to the pan and continue to cook. Cover with a cartouche. Reduce heat and cook slowly, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until the quinces become soft. Remove the cinammon stick and vanilla bean pod. Process the mixture in a food processor or food mill. Cool to room temperature.

To make the pastry, combine the flour, butter and caster sugar into a crumbly mix, then add the milk, three-quarters of the beaten egg and a pinch of the sea salt to form a nicely worked short-crust dough. Divide the dough into 3 balls, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Roll out the dough to about 2 mm (1/16 inch) thickness. Using a pastry cutter, cut into round discs roughly 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter. Place ½ a tablespoon of quince jam on each of the discs and then fold over to the edge to form half-moons. Press the edges down with a fork to seal properly. Re-roll offcuts if desired. Use a pastry brush to glaze each ravioli with the remaining beaten egg. Place on trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for about 20–30 minutes. They are fantastic served warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.