Leek and Red Pepper Mini-Quiches
Wine Pairing
This recipe pairs well with juicy, medium bodied red wines like the
This recipe pairs well with juicy, medium bodied red wines like the
Val de Salis Marselan from William Sonoma's Wine Club
After
removing the quiches from the muffin cups, you can let them cool for 1
to 2 hours and then reheat them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. They
will not be as crisp, however.
Ingredients:
For the cheddar pastry:
- 1/4 lb. white cheddar cheese, cut into chunks
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 8 Tbs. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 to 3 Tbs. cold water
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 leek, white portion only, or 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 lb. dry-aged white cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions:
To
make the cheddar pastry, in a food processor, pulse the cheese until
crumbly. Add the flour and salt and pulse until the cheese is finely
crumbled. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fluffy
bread crumbs. Drizzle the egg over the mixture and pulse twice. Scrape
down the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbs. water over the mixture and
pulse until a rough mass forms. If the mixture doesn't come together,
add another 1 Tbs. water.
Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and shape into a smooth ball. Divide in half. Roll out half the pastry into a large round 1/8 inch thick, pushing the dough outward from the center and rotating it about a quarter turn each time you roll, sprinkling more flour underneath as needed.
Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many pastry rounds as possible and ease them very gently into the cups of a mini-muffin pan. The bottoms should remain rounded and the dough edges flush with the rims. Gather up the scraps, reroll, cut out additional rounds and line additional cups. Repeat with the remaining dough half, working in batches if necessary. You should have a total of 48 lined cups.
Preheat an oven to 400°F.
To make the filling, in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the bell pepper and cheese. In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the cream, mustard, salt and cayenne. Add the egg mixture to the leek mixture and whisk to combine. Pour 1 Tbs. of the filling into each of the pastry shells, evenly distributing the solids and liquid.
Bake the quiches until they are puffy and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes (the quiches will sink a little as they cool). To loosen them from the muffin cups, run a thin-bladed knife around the sides, then carefully lift the quiches out of the cups. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and shape into a smooth ball. Divide in half. Roll out half the pastry into a large round 1/8 inch thick, pushing the dough outward from the center and rotating it about a quarter turn each time you roll, sprinkling more flour underneath as needed.
Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many pastry rounds as possible and ease them very gently into the cups of a mini-muffin pan. The bottoms should remain rounded and the dough edges flush with the rims. Gather up the scraps, reroll, cut out additional rounds and line additional cups. Repeat with the remaining dough half, working in batches if necessary. You should have a total of 48 lined cups.
Preheat an oven to 400°F.
To make the filling, in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and sauté gently, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the bell pepper and cheese. In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the cream, mustard, salt and cayenne. Add the egg mixture to the leek mixture and whisk to combine. Pour 1 Tbs. of the filling into each of the pastry shells, evenly distributing the solids and liquid.
Bake the quiches until they are puffy and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes (the quiches will sink a little as they cool). To loosen them from the muffin cups, run a thin-bladed knife around the sides, then carefully lift the quiches out of the cups. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Makes 48 warm bites.
5
out of
5
Annapolis ,MD
September 8, 2011
So easy & tasty
I
just made these (sans leeks) and they were incredible! My boyfriend
even ate them and he hates eggs. They were so light and fluffy I
couldn't believe how easy they were. I didn't make the cheddar pastry
dough though, I used WS's recipe for savory tart dough instead (also
incredible). I added a little extra cheese to compensate for the
non-cheddar pastry dough. They baked up quickly, but I did put them in
for an extra 3 minutes to brown. I could not even taste the cayenne
pepper though, so I will double that next time I make them or maybe add
in a bit of white pepper since that usually brings out the cayenne. But
these I'm sure will be made again
Pros: Quick, Easy, Appearance, Impressive
Cons: Unhealthy
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
Woderful flavor
I have made these many times and every Christmas Eve. They are readily gobbled up by guests.
A sure hit at your next party
To
simplify things I did not prepare the dough from scratch, I purchased
refrigerated pie dough from the grocery store, one box (2 crusts) yields
48.
This is a fabulous recipe, after making it a few times I changed it up a bit. A chipotle gouda is a good substitute for cheddar, reduce cream to 1 cup & add 1 6oz. can of crabmeat (drained), I also thought the cheese came through better if sprinkled on top of filling rather than mixed in. I found they released from the pan better, if it was brushed with butter. Very important step-do not over fill cups, stay below dough line, they will be impossible to remove without damage. If you like to cook these mini quiches are well worth the effort.
This is a fabulous recipe, after making it a few times I changed it up a bit. A chipotle gouda is a good substitute for cheddar, reduce cream to 1 cup & add 1 6oz. can of crabmeat (drained), I also thought the cheese came through better if sprinkled on top of filling rather than mixed in. I found they released from the pan better, if it was brushed with butter. Very important step-do not over fill cups, stay below dough line, they will be impossible to remove without damage. If you like to cook these mini quiches are well worth the effort.
