Baked quinces with apricot caramel sauce

Rub the fur off the quinces with a towel until the skin shines.

With an apple corer, hollow each quince from the top without piercing the bottom; shave the base so it stands and trim a little off the top. Scrape out the remaining seeds with a little spoon.

Peel the quinces with a peeler, removing any marks.

Roll the quinces in sugar in a little pan.

Mix the cream with the rest of the sugar and spoon it into the cavities.

Pour half the apricot nectar into the bottom of the dish; it becomes the caramel.

Bake at 200C (about 400F) for 45 minutes to an hour depending on size.

Every 15 to 20 minutes, when it looks dry, add a little more nectar to dilute the caramel and baste the quinces to glaze them.

Tip the juice out of the cavities into the sauce. Set the quinces on a plate with a piece of butter and return to the oven until the butter melts, for a shiny buttery apricot caramel sauce.