This recipe for the quince and marzipan pralines comes from a recipe collection by Gretchen Hennemann, a farmer lady from the village of Hähnlein in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district in southern Hesse. She wrote her recipes in the period between the First and Second World Wars. A part of her really outstanding collection was transcribed by a distant relative, to whom I am very grateful for this recipe exchange. Historical recipes should not be forgotten, but kept alive, as they testify to our culinary history and also to the world of women, which is often neglected in the history books.
For the pralines:
200 grams of marzipan
80 grams of icing sugar
2 tablespoons of quince brandy, alternatively Mirabelle liqueur
100 grams of quince puree
180 grams of ground almonds
200 grams of dark chocolate couverture
For the quince puree:
1 kilogram of quinces, washed
110 grams of sugar
In 100 grams of the quince puree:
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
1 star anise, ground
Some vanilla
A pinch of mace, ground
1 clove, ground
For the pralines:
1. First knead the raw marzipan mixture with the icing sugar.
2. Then add the quince brandy, the quince puree and the freshly blanched and ground almonds and continue kneading.
3. Shape the homogeneous quince-marzipan mixture into about 50 even balls and chill.
4. Melt one half of the dark chocolate couverture, cut into small pieces, in a Bain Marie. Once this has melted, turn the temperature down to the lowest possible level and add the rest of the couverture, cut into fine slices. Stir well until everything is melted. Remove from the heat.
5. Now dip the pralines into the liquid couverture with the help of a praline set or a small fork, allow to drain and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or lightly greased. Let the pralines dry and enjoy chilled.
For the quince puree:
1. Wash and quarter one kilogram of quince, add a little water and 110 grams of sugar and cook until soft.
2. Brush through a fine sieve or a "Flotte Lotte".
3. Bring 100 grams of the puree briefly to the boil again in a saucepan together with the freshly ground spices.
4. Cool the fruit puree and then process it as described above.
5. The leftover puree can be easily frozen in portions and can also be used as a topping for a cake or to fill dumplings.
Instagram
Facebook