Quiche Pastry Food

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour together with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a soft breadcrumb texture. Add enough cold water to make the crumb mixture come together to form a firm dough, and then rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry on a light floured surface and line a 22cm/8½in well-buttered flan dish. Don't cut off the edges of the pastry yet. Chill again.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line the base of the pastry with baking parchment and then fill it with baking beans. Place on a baking tray and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another five minutes to cook the base
• Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• Sprinkle the cheese into the pastry base and add the sliced tomatoes if you are using them. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp and sprinkle over them over the top.
• Combine the eggs with the milk and cream in a bowl and season well. Pour over the bacon and cheese. Sprinkle the thyme over the top and trim the edges of the pastry.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool and set further.
• Trim the pastry edges to get a perfect edge and then serve in wedges.

BASIC QUICHE

Steps:

• Spread filling ingredients in pie shell.
• Whisk eggs and evaporated milk in medium bowl. Pour mixture over filling.
• Bake in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until a knife inserted near centre comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

QUICHE PASTRY CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Roll each sheet into a 12-in. square; cut each into 9 squares. Place in ungreased muffin cups, pressing gently onto bottoms and up sides, allowing corners to point up., In a small bowl, whisk 3 eggs, 1 cup cream, thyme and seasonings. In another bowl, combine cheese, spinach, red pepper and bacon; divide among pastry cups. Pour egg mixture over cheese mixture., In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg with remaining 2 tablespoons cream; brush over pastry edges. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm. Freeze option: Cover and freeze baked pastries on greased baking sheets until firm. Transfer to resealable freezer containers; return to freezer. To use, reheat frozen pastries on ungreased baking sheets in a preheated 375° oven 17-20 minutes or until heated through.

MINI QUICHES WITH A PUFF PASTRY CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Prep two muffin trays by greasing the muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
• With a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, flatten out the puff pasty sheets to about 1/8 inch thick, shaping the dough into a large rectangle about 16 inches wide and 12 inches long. Cut the pastry sheet into 12 even squares using a sharp knife. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet.
• Line the greased muffin cups with one square of dough each, pushing the dough down into the bottom of the tin. The corners should poke out of the pan.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and garlic until the onions turn translucent. Add the spinach, and sautee until the leaves wilt and become tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and let cool slightly in the pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Stir in the cheese.
• Evenly divide the spinach mixture between the pastry-lined muffin cups. Spoon the egg mixture over the spinach, filling about 2/3 to the top.
• Bake 35-45 minutes, until the eggs are set and the crust has browned.
• Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.

SAVOURY SHORTCRUST PASTRY FOR QUICHES AND TARTS

Steps:

• Place the Flour and Salt in the bowl of your Food processor and pulse to mix.
• Add the very cold Butter, cut into small cubes, and slowly pulse to blend it into the flour until you get a thin crumb like consistency.
• While pulsing, slowly add the very cold Water a little bit at the time. Stop as soon as the dough comes together (see note 1) and transfer over a sheet of baking paper on your kitchen bench.
• Assemble the dough into a ball and gently flatten it with your hands. Place a second sheet of baking paper over it, and leave to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Roll the Pastry into a large circle (see note 2) about 4mm - 1/8 inch thick. Place the tart pan over it to check it is rolled wide enough to fill it.
• Place the rolled pastry over a flat tray and leave in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours).
• Remove the two baking sheets and place the rolled pastry inside the Quiche/Tart Pan. Gently slide down the pastry along the sides of the pans, then press it against the pan so that it sticks to it. Remove any excess with a small pairing knife or rolling pin (see note 3).
• Poke the bottom of the pastry with a fork, then place back in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). Just before baking the pastry, place it in the freezer (for at least 15 minutes) to make sure the butter is extremely cold, almost frozen.
• Bake according to the recipe instructions - either blind-baked for 20 minutes at 180'C/350'F filled with baking paper and baking weights (beads, dried beans, rice etc...) or directly with the filling.

MINI QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Spray 2 standard muffin tins with oil.
• Cut 24 rounds out of pastry using a 7.5 - 8cm / 3- 3.25" cutter. (Note 3)
• Press into muffin tin, making sure there's no air underneath the pastry.
• Prick the base 4 times with a fork, then bake for 5 minutes JUST until a skin partially forms on surface of pastry. CHECK at 4 minutes - if pastry is bubbling, press back down.
• Remove from oven and let cool - pastry should be partially cooked on surface only.
• Melt butter over medium high. Cook bacon for 2 minutes, then add eschallots and cook until bacon is light golden. Transfer to bowl.
• Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 teaspoon bacon mixture then 1 tbsp egg mixture - fill to top.
• Melt butter over medium high. Add garlic, sauté 20 seconds. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute until just wilted, then transfer to bowl.
• Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 teaspoon of spinach then 1 tbsp egg mixture - fill to top.
• Melt butter over medium high. Add garlic, sauté 20 seconds. Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes until mushroom is starting to go golden on edges, then transfer to bowl.
• Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 teaspoon cooked mushrooms then 1 tbsp egg mixture - fill to top. Top with 1 or 2 slices mushrooms.
• Antipasto Mix: Toss the olives, sun dried tomatoes and feta together.
• Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 heaped teaspoon Antipasto Mix, then 1 tbsp egg mixture - fill to top.
• Bake 20 minutes at 180C/350F until surface is light golden. They will puff, then sink.
• Sprinkle Mushroom quiche with fresh chives. Serve warm!

QUICK N EASY QUICHE CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt with fork.
• Beat oil and water with whisk or fork to thicken.
• Pour into flour and mix with fork.
• Press into 9" pie crust.
• Fill with quiche mixture and bake at 400F until done.
• NOTES: I've never made this with canola oil.
• You can double the recipe, divide dough in half, and roll out into a pair of rounds for two-crust pies.
• This recipe is not suitable for baked pie crust shells.
• It makes a nice, flaky crust that's suitable for everyday use.

QUICHE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, toss 4 teaspoons flour with the grated cheese. Sprinkle mixture into the pie shell. On top of cheese, sprinkle 1/2 cup of diced ham.
• In medium bowl, combine eggs, milk or cream, and then add salt and mustard powder. Beat until smooth and pour over cheese and ham.
• Put piece of plastic wrap large enough to overlap sides over top of quiche, then a piece of foil, and seal well around the edges. (plastic keeps the foil from sticking to the food). Place prepared quiche in freezer.
• When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.) Remove foil and plastic wrap. Put foil around edge of crust to protect it.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Garnish with parsley and pimiento if desired

THE ULTIMATE SPRING QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour and a good pinch of salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add 125ml of cold water, continuously mixing until it comes together to form a rough dough, adding a splash more water, if needed. Bring it together with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Snap off and discard the woody ends from the asparagus, then slice the stalks into 1cm chunks, reserving the tips. Blanch the asparagus (including the tips), peas and broad beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain. Roughly chop and stir in the spinach so it wilts slightly, then refresh the veg under cold running water. Drain well and place into a large bowl. Trim, finely slice and add the spring onions.
• Finely slice the bacon (if using), then add to a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk in the cream, milk and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Chop and stir in the chives.
• On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the rested dough to roughly ½cm thick. Roll the pastry up around the rolling pin, then carefully unroll it to cover a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Gently press the pastry into the tart tin, moulding it to the tin as you go (don't worry if it breaks - patch up any holes with spare pastry).
• Trim away any overhanging pastry, then line with a double layer of clingfilm. Fill nearly to the top with uncooked rice or beans, then bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove the rice or beans and clingfilm, then return the tart case to the oven for a further 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
• Spoon the greens into the pastry case, put the bacon pieces on top, pour in the cream mixture and crumble over the goat's cheese. Place the quiche in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until just set. Leave to cool slightly, then serve with a crisp green salad.

ULTIMATE QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• For the pastry, put 175g plain flour, 100g cold butter, cut into pieces, 1 egg yolk and 4 tsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button, process until the mix binds.
• Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a smooth ball, then roll out as thinly as you can.
• Line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin, easing the pastry into the base.
• Trim the pastry edges with scissors (save any trimmings) so it sits slightly above the tin (if it shrinks, it shouldn't now go below the level of the tin). Press the pastry into the flutes, lightly prick the base with a fork, then chill for 10 mins.
• Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line pastry case with foil, shiny side down, fill with dry beans and bake on the hot sheet for 15 mins.
• Remove foil and beans and bake for 4-5 mins more until the pastry is pale golden. If you notice any small holes or cracks, patch up with pastry trimmings. You can make up to this point a day ahead.
• While the pastry cooks, prepare the filling. Heat a small frying pan, tip in 200g lardons and fry for a couple of mins. Drain off any liquid that comes out, then continue cooking until the lardons just start to colour, but aren't crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Cut three quarters of the 50g gruyère into small dice and finely grate the rest. Scatter the diced gruyère and fried lardons over the bottom of the pastry case.
• Using a spoon, beat 200ml crème fraîche to slacken it then slowly beat in 200ml double cream. Mix in 3 well beaten eggs. Season (you shouldn't need much salt) and add a pinch of ground nutmeg. Pour three quarters of the filling into the pastry case.
• Half-pull the oven shelf out and put the flan tin on the baking sheet. Quickly pour the rest of the filling into the pastry case - you get it right to the top this way. Scatter the grated cheese over the top, then carefully push the shelf back into the oven.
• Lower the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Bake for about 25 mins, or until golden and softly set (the centre should not feel too firm).
• Let the quiche settle for 4-5 mins, then remove from the tin. Serve freshly baked, although it's also good cold.

EASY VEGETARIAN CRUSTLESS QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until starting to soften.
• Add the broccoli and cook for a further 4 or 5 minutes until that is starting to soften too.
• Add the peas and cook for a further 3 minutes.
• Put the vegetables into a shallow dish and pour over the beaten eggs.
• Sprinkle over the cheese and plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until the quiche is cooked through but is still a little wobbly.
• Leave to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

PUFF PASTRY QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Set oven to 425 degrees (will reduce oven temperature later).
• Prepare a 9-inch (deep-dish) pie plate.
• In a frypan, melt butter and saute onion and garlic (if using) until soft.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, whipping cream and spices; beat until very well combined.
• Roll out pastry to fit the pie plate.
• Sprinkle the onion/garlic mixture into the bottom of the pie shell, then chopped bacon then top with grated cheese.
• Carefully pour the egg mixture on top.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 300 degrees, and bake for about another 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

QUICHE CRUST / SHORTCRUST PASTRY FOR PIES

Steps:

• Place flour, salt and butter in a food processor.
• Pulse 10 times or until it looks like breadcrumbs.
• With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder.
• Turn up to high and blitz for 30 seconds or until it turns into a ball of dough. Initially it will look like breadcrumbs, then it will turn into a ball of soft dough - some random escaped bits is fine. If it doesn't look like its coming together at 20 seconds, add another 1/2 tbsp of water. Don't blitz longer than 30 seconds at most.
• Form a disc, wrap in cling wrap. If there are escaped crumble bits, that's fine - just press them in. Refrigerate for 1 - 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan forced)
• Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, then roll out into a 27cm/11" round.
• Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin.
• Unroll it over the quiche pan or pie dish - 23cm / 9".
• Press the pastry into the edges of the quiche pan, patching up edges if required (if pastry doesn't quite reach top of rim).
• Roll the rolling pin across the top to cut off the excess pastry.
• Optional extra "safe measure" refrigeration - 15 minutes. See (Note 2).
• Place a large piece of parchment paper over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 3)
• Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Turn oven DOWN to 180C/350F (or 160C/320F fan).
• Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 10 minutes or until base is light golden.
• Remove from oven and fill with chosen Quiche Filling. Quiche Lorraine, Salmon Quiche, Italian Sausage or your other filling of choice.
• The pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy.

EASY QUICHE LORRAINE RECIPE BY MARY BERRY

Steps:

• First make the pastry: tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the margarine or butter and rub in gently with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 3 tablespoons cold water until the pastry comes together in a ball.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed flan tin. Ideally, use a fluted tin.
• Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220˚C. Prick the pastry case all over with a fork, to prevent air bubbles forming during baking. Line the base and sides with baking parchment and weigh it down with baking beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake the empty case for a further 10 minutes, or until the base is lightly browned. Trim the overhanging pastry.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C. Crisp the bacon in a sauté pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Transfer to the cooled pastry case with a slotted spoon. Leave the juices in the pan.
• Place the onion in the pan and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes or until golden. Add to the quiche Lorraine and top with the cheese.
• In a bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt and pepper, then pour into the quiche. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and just set. Be careful not to overcook the quiche, or the filling will become tough and full of holes.