Description
These Mini Quiches are delightful bite-sized savory pastries perfect for brunch, snacks, or party appetizers. Made with a crisp shortcrust pastry base and filled with a creamy egg and cream mixture, they feature a variety of flavorful fillings including bacon, spinach, mushrooms, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and a blend of Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Each mini quiche is beautifully topped and baked to golden perfection, offering a rich and satisfying taste in every piece.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 3 sheets shortcrust pastry
Egg Mixture
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy/thickened cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch black pepper
Bacon Filling
- 2 tsp (10g) butter
- 150g (5 oz) bacon, finely chopped
- 1/2 eschallot (shallot/French onion), finely diced
- 1/3 cup (30g/1oz) Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
Spinach Filling
- 1 tbsp (15g) butter
- 120g (4oz) baby spinach, sliced 1/2 cm / 1/5″ thick
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup (50g/2oz) Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
Mushroom Filling
- 1 tbsp (15g) butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 100g (4 oz) mushrooms, finely chopped
- 8 small mushrooms, sliced (for decorating)
- 1/2 cup (50g/2oz) Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Filling
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1/4 cup green olives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 30g (1 oz) feta, crumbled
- 1/4 cup (25g/1oz) Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Prepare Pastry Shells: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll out the shortcrust pastry sheets and cut out rounds slightly larger than the mini muffin cups or mini tart pans. Gently press the pastry rounds into the wells to form individual tart shells. Prick the bases with a fork to prevent puffing during baking.
- Cook Bacon Mixture: In a skillet, melt 2 teaspoons of butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped bacon and diced eschallot and cook until the bacon is crisp and the eschallot is softened. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Set aside.
- Sauté Spinach Filling: Using the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, then add the minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant. Add the baby spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 cup of shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Set aside.
- Sauté Mushroom Filling: Melt another tablespoon of butter in the pan, add minced garlic and finely chopped mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and become tender. Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Set aside.
- Prepare Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Filling: In a bowl, combine chopped chives, finely chopped green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled feta, and 1/4 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese. Mix well to integrate all ingredients evenly.
- Assemble and Bake: Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt, and black pepper to create the egg mixture. Spoon a small amount of each prepared filling into separate pastry shells, filling each about halfway. Then pour the egg and cream mixture over the fillings until just below the top edge of the pastry. Top the mushroom-filled quiches with a decorative slice of mushroom. Place the quiches in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- You can mix and match fillings in each quiche according to preference or dietary needs.
- Swiss or Gruyere cheese is preferred for its melting qualities and sweet nutty flavor.
- Ensure the pastry is chilled before cutting and pressing into molds to prevent shrinking.
- Mini quiches can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated before serving.
- These quiches freeze well; let them cool completely before freezing in airtight containers.
