This is another one of my family’s recipes. It is a traditional sweet of many Italian regions (especially in the south) and when my parents were kids, it used to be among the most awaited gifts that Sicilian children would get for “all souls day”. You can find out more about the traditions of “all souls day” in my post on Martorana. I remember my mom making cotognata in autumn, during the short quince season… the whole house would smell of it… such a comforting aroma: quince, lemon and bay leaves! This autumn I decided to make it for the first time all by myself and follow my family’s tradition. Cotognata is an amazing sweet… it turns a not so pretty looking fruit into a delicious dessert! And it is as easy to make as a jam!
Ingredients (this is the original recipe and it makes a large quantity of cotognata, I usually make half a dose):
2.5 kg quinces
1 lemon, cut in 4 pieces
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 kg sugar
Moulds
Peel and cut the quinces in pieces. Put them in a pot with the lemon, bay leaves and a little bit of water (just enough to create steam while cooking). Cook covered, on a low flame.
When the quinces are soft, drain them well. Do not throw their cooking water away: you can make some fantastic quince jelly with it (the recipe will follow in the next few days)!
Blend the drained quinces well with a stick mixer and put the quince purée in a pot with the sugar.
Cook on a low flame and stir it as if you were making a jam, only in this case you need to obtain a much thicker mixture. When ready it will be dense and amber in colour.
Prepare your moulds. You can use any shape you like just as long as they are not too big and no deeper than 3.5 cm otherwise your cotognata will take too long to dry and set. Make sure to wet the moulds with water before pouring the warm quince mix into them, this will help you remove the cotognata from the moulds later on.
Keep aside for a few days (3 to 5 depending on the size of your moulds), until completely set, then remove from the moulds and enjoy.
Deliziosa e …. molto calorica ! La facciamo ogni stagione 🙂
Saluti dalla Sicilia.
Dear Manuela,
I grew up in Caccamo, Provence of Palermo, where my family went back from Philadelphia during the first Depression.
I live now in Chicago where I own a fifty year old Monastero’s Ristorante.
Thank you for writing the recipe of Cotognata (or Cutugnata in the Sicilian language), that my mother and sister used to make and I have just made from Cotogne produced by a tree given to me by a friend also from Caccamo.
I am also writing to you because our town was very rich of families whose last name was Zangara. Some of those families came to Chicago and some to Kankakee,Illinois.
Is there any possibility that you or your husband may belong to any of those families? For many years I was very close friend to them.
Sincerely, Joe Monastero
Dear Joe,
Thank you so much for your message! I loved reading about you and your family and I am really happy that my recipe for cotognata brought back happy memories to you! :-)))) It is a traditional recipe and my family has been making it for many years, so I too enjoy making it and passing it along! My maiden name is Zangara (in Italy, women do not change their surname after marriage). I have asked my dad and he says our side of the family is originally from the area of Partinico/Balestrate. My grandmother’s family instead was from Sciara (near Caccamo) but her surname was Notarbartolo. I had no idea there are so many Zangara’s in Illinois! 🙂
Have a great day!!!
Manuela
I love to have preserves to eat with cheese! I will have to look for quinces this fall!
Another creative recipe. 🙂 You are in super fast pace dear .. catching up soon ! 🙂
LOVE this Manu! I usually eat quince paste with cheese and bread. Do you eat it like this too?
Quest’ultimo autunno è stato per me all’insegna della cotogna, ho fatto tanta gelatina…ma niente cotognata… assurdo! Questa tua ricetta è bellissima, la proverò sicuramente quando ritorneranno le cotogne!
awww little bears.
ive never had quince before. it does sorta look like jam!
AWEOME!
I wasn’t sure what’s quince and checked dictionary. We don’t have this in Japan too. So interesting! I love the molds and they sure will make kids happy. 🙂 I love you cooked this from fresh fruits, instead of powders. Wonderful mom’s desserts to the kids!
I love this! It looks like giant gummy bear 🙂 The flavors sound amazingggg.
Manu, these little quince bears are sooooooo cute! I can see this sweet paste going very well with cheese.
I never made cotognata like this… I make quinces jam (sweet “regular” version, and a “hot/spicy” version, with mustard seeds inside, that makes it perfect to accompany meat), but no cotognata!
This looks amazing, though!
Ohhh the spicy version sounds amazing… I will be waiting (im)patiently for your autumn to see the recipe on your blog Giulia!!!
Manu, this recipe is quite interesting, but I have never seen quinces anywhere in India and Hong Kong. Does it have an alternative name? Can I substitute quinces with anything else? Loved your step-by-step explanation.
I am not sure if you find it in India… my husband had never seen it. I have read on wiki that you find it in Pakistan, but I do not really know much about it. 🙂 It tastes halfway between apple and pear… you could try and make it with half apples and half pears… it shouldn’t taste too different. 🙂
This is too cute! Just like those gummy bears! 😀
What’s quince? I googled and it says that quince is a kinda fruit between apple and pear but I still have got no idae what it is and how it taste like.. LOL
This is great for kids party! ^.^
Have a wonderful weekend Manu! 🙂
Ohh I didn’t eat quinces in years..I always want to buy and somehow forget hahaha..this dessert sounds amazingly delicious..very well done!!!!
I love quince paste but I’ve never had Sicilian style. We always eat it with good cheese. I’ve never made it into a teddy bear.. I could try that and say it’s a koala. 🙂 Looks yummy.
I had to google quince! I’m totally clueless. This looks fabulously yummy! High cute factor too 🙂
To echo some of the other comments – I love quince paste with Manchego! This looks just wonderful. As soon as quince comes back in season around here I will be making this.
I bought some quince paste at a specialty market and used it with Manchego for an appetizer. I’d never heard of it before that…and I don’t think I’ve ever seen fresh quince ever. SO fun to see that this was a part of your childhood…
Manu, this is so funny seeing the quince paste in these moulds. They are fabulous! I adore quince paste and only discovered it on coming to France. We enjoy eating it with lots of powerful cheeses and it’s a beautiful partner. Lovely with the bay leaves. Have a wonderful weekend. J xo
I think such things that we remember and are having since childhood are the best.. 🙂
That looks really cool and refreshing..not sure I know what quince are but it still looks yummy