Homemade quiche offers quick weeknight elegance

A recipe with an ingredient list a mile long and multilayered preparations does not scare me. I can spend a good portion of the day on a cake that makes sweet promises. When I’m at the grocery store, I talk myself out of quick, ready-made meals. It’s difficult for me to put such items in the cart because I know my slow food is going to taste better, even if it doesn’t make itself.

Then I come home and realize I still need to get dinner on the table. It’s the opposite of buyer’s regret — sometimes I can barely afford the time it takes to make dinner.

So this week I sought some balance and revisited the quiche. Quiche is a foodie’s magic trick. It’s simple to prepare yet appears to be an advanced endeavor.

To take it to its simplest level, I went with puff pastry, one of the few pre-made items I prefer to buy than make. Plus, it dresses up an already sophisticated dish.

The main thing to remember about quiche is to not overcook it. Made right, it’s a beautifully creamy custard. When the quiche achieves a soft, gelatin texture, it’s time to remove it from the oven.

My daughter, the food critic, abhors an overcooked egg. In fact, she’s shed real tears over being forced to eat rubbery eggs.

Since most prepared quiches have a hard filling, she’ll be going through this same dilemma 20 years from now, standing in the frozen-food aisle wondering if she should just give in and buy frozen quiche — or make her own.

MINI CHEESE AND CHIVE QUICHES

» 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
» 3 eggs
» 1/2 cup heavy cream
» 1/2 cup whole milk
» 1/2 teaspoon salt
» 1/8 teaspoon pepper
» 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (can substitute with cheddar)
» 3 tablespoons chopped chives

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Use a rolling pin to slightly flatten out the sheet of puff pastry. Should be about 1 inch longer and wider. Cut into 4 pieces. Press a piece into each of four 6-ounce ramekins, anchoring the corners to the edge of the ramekin. Bake about 8 minutes, until beginning to dry and color. Remove from oven.

Lower oven to 350 degrees. Lightly push down puffed-up crust with a fork to make room for filling.

Whisk together eggs, cream and milk. Add salt and pepper and whisk again. Stir in the shredded cheese.

Divide mixture evenly between 4 6-ounce ramekins. Sprinkle with chives. Bake about 30-35 minutes or until middle of quiche is just barely set. It should jiggle but not be liquid. Serve while hot. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 1 (8.65-ounce) Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet): 500 calories, 37 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, 720 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 16 g protein

Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at www.thelittlefoodie.com.