Born in Madrid, Spain, Miriam lives in a small town…
Homemade apple paste is paired with a hearty Manchego cheese in an easy and delicious tapa from Miriam Garcia.
This apple paste or dulce de manzana is a typical recipe from the northern part of Spain, especially Asturias. Asturias is a humid, lusciously green apple-growing region, best known for its delicious cider, brewed all over the place by large and small apple growers. It is also known for its strong and amazing blue cheeses, like Cabrales. This apple paste is similar to the famous quince paste, dulce de membrillo, a true staple food in many Spanish regions. Similarly apple paste and strong cheeses go together like a horse and a carriage. Here I have paired dulce de manzana with a hearty Manchego cheese. An easy tapa not to be missed.
Here’s the recipe for the apple paste. No, I won’t give you the recipe for Manchego cheese, it’s a state secret.
- 1.3 pound (600g) apples (some tangy variety, like Reinette)
- 1 lemon
- 0.4 cup cider (100g)
- 1 pound sugar (500g)
- Peel the lemon and get rid of as much pith as you can. Cut in half and extract the pips.
- Peel and core the apples. Cut in large chunks and sprinkle with some of the lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Add the cider and sugar, stir to mix. Process the mixture in a food processor or blender till smooth.
- Put the pureed fruit in a heavy saucepan. Turn on the heat to low and simmer 35-40 minutes uncovered, stirring often.
- When the paste is ready, the pureé will acquire a deep redish golden color. To test for doneness, take a teaspoonful of the mixture and drop it on a plate. Wait until it's cold. If the drop is firm enough to the touch and detaches from the plate in one piece when pushed with your finger (a lot more solid than jam consistency), then it's done. If the pureé is too soft, just proceed with the simmering 2-5 minutes longer or as long as needed.
- When ready, pour the paste into a shallow container large or small enough to form it into the shape of a thin ingot (the thickness of the portion in the photos is the final thickness) and let it cool completely. I recommend you use a lidded container, as the paste tends to dry quite a bit. Well, unless you intend to eat it all in one go. You can also use a loaf pan lined with plastic so that you can unmold it on a plate. But always keep it covered if you're not going to finish it right away.
- Slice the cheese and slice similarly sized pieces of the apple paste. Top the cheese with the dulce de manzana and enjoy!
Try another great Spanish recipe – Padron Peppers – here.
Born in Madrid, Spain, Miriam lives in a small town North-West of Madrid with her family. Passionate foodie and amateur photographer, her liking for cooking originates mostly from her mother and her paternal grandmother. Miriam is the creator of the awarded Spanish food blog The Winter Guest.
I really like this! We make it with quinces, but apple is just as interesting
When you say “cider” – do you mean apple cider vinegar? apple cider? something else? Love the idea of this for a cheese plate, yes, with manchego.
We have the same thing…but with mangoes! usually it gets sliced and put into chutneys, but I’m guessing it would be fantastic on cheese too. Thanks for sharing this one!
Hi Alanna, yes, I mean apple cider. Apple cider is the only cider produced in Spain, and the best flavor to pair the apples with.
Wonderful. I bet it would be great with a nice Cheddar as well. And I’m imagining variations, like pear paste (with a blue cheese perhaps?). Oh, you’ve set my mind racing…
Delicious! Friends and I shared a meal on Caballadas an estancia in Patagonia this past December. Sitting on the grass our horses grazing nearby , a simple meal was highlighted by local sharp cheese and a gellee of a homemade citrus/ quince flavored treat we simply sliced off and ate with the cheese.
Just out of curiosity, what happens to the lemon that you peel? Does it go into the processor/blender with the apples?
This sounds delicious, but as the post above asks, what happens with the lemon?
Hello Miriam, thank you so much for this recipe. I wonder if it can be made without sugar. Not a replacement for sugar but just no sugar at all. Do you know if it will have problems firming? Thanks again!
I think you will find that the sugar is integral to the recipe, it is needed to set it and also as a preservative, plus it makes up half the bulk of this recipe
can’t believe Im just getting ready to make this and also realize I don’t know what to do with the lemon?!!! why am I peeling it? should I be zesting the peel and adding it to the paste? use all the juice?
Great recipe to use up the last of the apples off my tree.
I was wondering if the apple cider required is a hard (alcoholic) cider?
Does not work have got a jam after nearly 3 hours of simmering, no way is this going to set to a paste. Looked on YouTube and there is way more sugar in this recipe in proportion to apples compared to other recipes.
Would other fruit work here? I’d love to throw in a couple of nectarines.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE LEMON!!!
What happens to the lems? Are they cooked with the apples & suguar?
Seems like the lemon ought to go in the purée, I’m guessing the pectin in the lemon was needed to set the membrillo so it’s firm enough..?