Quiche Lorraine (ATK)

By hmp13

Once the dough is pressed into the pie plate, it can be refrigerated for 2 days or double wrapped in plastic and frozen for 1 month. After it has baked and cooled, the shell can be wrapped in plastic and held at room temperature for 1 day. If making ahead, heat the pie shell in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes before adding the custard in step 4. Grate the gruyere on the small holes of a box grater for the best texture.

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• Custard and Topping:
• 5 slices bacon, chopped fine
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese
• Quiche with Scallions and Cheddar Cheese
• Prepare recipe for quiche Lorraine, substituting 1/2 cup sharp cheddar for gruyere. Add 1 minced scallion to custard with bacon. Sprinkle 1 thinly sliced scallion over quiche after it has baked for 25 minutes.

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, parmesan, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until dough forms large clumps, about 1 minute. Reserve 3 tablespoons dough. Flatten remaining dough into 6 inch disk and transfer to center of 9 inch pie plate.

Press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pie plate and use reserved dough to form crimped rim. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes, then transfer to freezer until firm, about 10 minutes. Spray two 12 inch square pieces of foil lightly with cooking spray and arrange greased side down in chilled pie shell. Top with pie weights and fold excess foil over edges of dough. Bake until surface of dough no longer looks wet, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until crust just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

While crust cools, cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes, transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Whisk half and half, sour cream, eggs, yolk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, gruyere and ¾ of bacon in large bowl.

Pour custard mixture into warm pie shell and bake until crust is golden and custard is set around edges, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining bacon over surface of quiche and continue to bake until center of quiche is barely set, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve. (quiche can be refrigerated in airtight container or wrapped in plastic for 3 days.)