Dulce de mentillo is a sweet, sticky dessert made from quince, popular in South America. It can be flavored with lemon, lime, or passion fruit juice and is often eaten plain or used as a cream. The quince is boiled or baked, then processed into a pulp with sugar and juice before being simmered and chilled.
Dulce de mentillo is a sweet dessert that consists of a sticky, gooey fruit paste. Made with quince, a type of fruit, dulce de mentillo is popular in South America, especially Argentina. The term mentillo means “quince” in Spanish, and the dessert is also sometimes called quince paste. Although it is often eaten plain, this dessert can also be used as a cream due to its texture.
The simplest versions of dulce de mentillo contain quince and sugar. However, lemon or lime juice is also often added, and sometimes passion fruit juice is used. Other flavors are occasionally included, such as vanilla.
To make dulce de mentillo, the quinces are first boiled or baked. The fruit can be boiled whole, or it can be halved or cut first. Cooking takes place with all the fruit, after washing it carefully. Normally, the fruit is cored and the skin is peeled off once cooked.
After the unwanted parts have been removed, the remaining fruit is placed in a food processor to create a pulp. The pulp can be used immediately, but is normally sieved first. Once sieved, the quantity of pulp is measured. Since the amount of sugar used equals the amount of pulp created, the amount of pulp determines how much sugar is needed.
The pulp is then placed in a large saucepan. Sugar and juice, if used, are added to the pulp and the mixture is brought to a simmer. You need to stir frequently or constantly to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Some versions recommend placing the mixture in a tray and cooking on a very low heat after simmering to add extra firmness. Most versions don’t suggest this, however.
Alternatively, you can prepare dulce de mentillo in the microwave. The quince pulp is placed in a microwave-safe container and covered. It is heated for a short time before sugar is added. Then, the quince-sugar mixture is heated again. The microwave is stopped every few minutes to stir the mixture.
Once complete, the dulce de mentillo is placed in a pan or similar container and allowed to cool. To set, the pan is placed in a refrigerator and allowed to chill overnight. Once set, the dessert can be removed from the pan and sliced. Leftovers can be refrigerated for months, but should be wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container.
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