I’ve never met a quiche I didn’t like. From a classic quiche Lorraine to vegetarian ones with mushrooms and from fancy ones with smoked salmon or artichokes and pancetta to Halloween-themed ones, I really like them all. While fillings for quiche can vary tremendously, the two things they all have in common are a flaky, buttery crust and gooey cheesy egg filling.
This cheese quiche with almonds here has just that (and I really mean just that): a rich, soft, cheesy filling made with melty and nutty Emmental cheese and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano for extra cheesiness (of course, you can pick a different yellow, medium-hard cheese and salty, aged cheese of your choosing) and a flaky, buttery crust with extra flaky and brittle texture because of the addition of almond flakes. I believe it doesn’t need anything else but that, except perhaps for a fresh little green salad on the side.
Basic Cheese Quiche with Almonds
- V
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
- for the crust:
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 120g chilled salted butter, cubed, plus a little extra for greasing the tin
- pinch of salt (optional when using salted butter)
- 1 medium-size egg
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 50g flaked almonds, plus few more for decoration
- -
- For the filling:
- 4 medium-size eggs
- 250ml unsweetened whipping cream
- 150g Emmental or Gruyère (or other yellow, medium-hard cheese)
- 50 Parmigiano Reggiano (or other hard, salty, aged cheese)
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- -
- needed:
- 26cm spring form pan
- baking beans or dry rice
- parchment paper
Method
Prepare the dough (can be done a day ahead)- In a bowl, add the flour, salt, flaked almonds and cubes of butter. Make sure to keep some extra flaked almonds aside to decorate the quiche with later if you like. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it forms large crumbs.
- In a small bowl beat 1 egg and a tablespoon of cold water then add to the rest of the ingredients and knead until it forms a smooth dough ball.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface (if it is too sticky to roll out, place dough in the fridge for 10 minutes).
- Use the dough to line a 26cm greased spring cake tin. If you want, clean up the edges by trimming off excess pastry with the back of a butter knife.
- Lightly prick the dough all over with a fork and place tin in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Line the pastry in the tin with baking parchment paper and weigh it down with baking beans, or baking bean replacement like dry rice.
- Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking beans and parchment paper and return the empty pastry case to the oven for about 10 more minutes until it starts to brown slightly, then remove from oven.
- In a bowl, beat together 4 eggs, the whipping cream, the grated cheeses and some freshly grated nutmeg and black pepper until well combined. You can add a little salt if you like, but usually the cheese is salty enough.
- Pour filling into the blind-baked crust. If you've kept some flaked almonds aside, carefully sprinkle- or arrange them on top of the filling.
- Place the quiche in the middle of the oven and bake for another 25 - 30 minutes until just set and slightly golden. Serve warm, or cold.
