Mrs Simkins Mini Quiche Secrets - Quiche & Tell!

Mrs Simkins: Mini Quiches!

​Mini quiches are always a great savoury favourite for parties and picnics and a must for garden parties. Add some cooked diced bacon or lardons if you prefer but the simple cheese and onion flavour is delicious and also suitable for non-meat eaters.
 
Easy to make and assemble: particularly if you whiz up your pastry in the food processor and make an all in one filling rather than faffing about adding cheese and onions and what have you separately, plus, unlike full size quiches, you don’t have to bake the pastry cases blind first either.

Fresh out of the oven: Mrs Simkins Mini Quiches!

Quiche Query 1
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Just to clear up a couple quick quiche queries before we start: as Miss Windsor and I were discussing on the phone the other day, the lovely savoury cheesy tarts we all make and love and nonchalantly refer to as ‘quiche’ aren’t technically quiche at all.
 
Classic Quiche Lorraine, from the Lorraine region of France, was originally a pastry case filled with a delicate, beautifully wobbly filling of lightly seasoned cream, eggs and bacon.  The more familiar version with cheese; should really be called a savoury flan or tart, but times change and the name quiche seems to have stuck, and why not? 

Fancy one of Mrs Simkins Mini Quiches?

​In fact, if we delve deeper into history, it seems quiche wasn’t originally French at all but German.  Stretching back to the Middle Ages, when Lorraine was part of Germany and known as Lothringen, it was a savoury kuchen or cake, and, instead of pastry, the crust was very likely bread, rather like a pizza base. You live and learn, as Miss Windsor and I always say.

Quiche Query 2 Plain or Fluted Cutters?

​Should you use a plain or a fluted cutter for your mini quiches? Strictly speaking, plain cutters are intended for savoury tarts, fluted for sweet. If this sounds a bit regimented, it is actually a handy convention as it helps distinguish savoury from sweet fillings instantly. On the other hand, if you feel inclined, why not break with convention occasionally? Fluted edges do look so pretty and appealing after all!​

Someone's nibbled on Mrs Simkins Mini Quiches!

Make Pastry in a Food Processor
You can make beautiful buttery melt in the mouth pastry quickly and easily in a food processor. It’s simplicity itself: but do follow the measurements and method exactly.
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Top Tip 1
Stop processing the very second the pastry begins to clump together: otherwise it will be tough and lose that lovely melt in the mouth, slightly flaky quality.
 
Top Tip 2
As you cut out, leave as little spaces as possible between rounds to minimise handling and re-rolling. Too much handling also makes pastry tough.

Perfect for a picnic - Mrs Simkins Mini Quiches!

Top Tip 3
Grate your cheese finely: use the fine side of a box grater. You’ll find it then melts silkily into the savoury custard giving a much smoother result.
 
​Top Tip 4
Stir mustard powder through a tea strainer with a teaspoon to prevent it clumping together.
 
Top Tip 5
When transporting the little quiches, cool them first, line your container with greaseproof paper and for a double layer: lay a piece of slightly crumpled greaseproof paper over the first layer.

Toodles!

​Mrs Simkins X 

Makes 24

Pastry

• 160g plain flour
• 80g cold salted butter, diced
• Extra pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons cold water

 
Filling

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• Scant tablespoon oil
• 1 medium egg
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 6 tablespoons cream (single or double, but not extra thick)
• 60g or so of mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated, see top tip 3
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
• Ground white and cayenne pepper

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 Equipment 

• You will need 2 x12 cup greased tart tins and a 6cm cutter

Method 

• Preheat oven to 180C (fan oven) or equivalent
• Combine flour, butter and salt. Whiz into fine crumbs. Add water and whiz again. Once large clumps begin to form stop immediately and remove from processor. Press gently together into a ball.  
• Roll out gently on a lightly floured board to a thickness similar to a pound coin. 
• Cut out rounds and pat gently into tart tins. 
• Push remaining pastry lightly together, and cut out the rest.
• Fry onion slowly until soft just beginning to colour. Drain on kitchen paper.
• Whisk egg and egg yolk together with the mustard powder and peppers. Add cream and whisk in lightly.
• Stir in onions and cheese. Divide filling evenly between pastry cases: each one will take roughly a generous teaspoon.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until risen and until golden. Serve warm or cold.