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CI Best Quiche Lorraine

Source of Recipe

Cooks Illustrated Holiday Baking 2007


Recipe Introduction

I decided to try this recipe for my mini quiches that I make for Christmas morning breakfast. This was wonderfully soft and custardy. It is not the ultimate quiche – I am still looking for that, but this one is definitely better than my old recipe (Betty Crocker) and it still freezes very well! It doesn’t call for onions at all, which surprised me, but you don’t miss them. I did add a little hot sauce. Just use the best bacon you can find – I used Nueske’s applewood smoked and it was fantastic. CI says, “The center of the quiche will be surprisingly soft when it comes out of the oven, but the filling will continue to set (and sink somewhat) as it cools.”

List of Ingredients

2 - pkg. mini pie crusts or 1 pie shell
4 oz. (about 4 slices) bacon, diced
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 c. whole milk
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground white pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 C.)



Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake blind for about 7-10 minutes (15 - 20 for pie shell) – until dough looks dry and light in color.

While pie shell is baking, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain. Whisk together remaining ingredients except for the cheese. Spread the cheese and bacon over the warm pie crust and pour the egg mixture over all. Bake until it passes the clean knife test and is set but ‘jiggly’ like Jell-O, another 15 - 20 minutes (longer for large pie). UNDERBAKE SLIGHTLY IF FREEZING. Cool. Serve warm or room temperature.

Makes 16 mini quiches.