Roll out pastry to fit a 10½-inch glass tart pan. Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights; bake in the bottom third of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; remove the aluminum foil and pastry weights. Return the pastry to the oven to bake until the bottom is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk until thoroughly blended. Season with salt and pepper; add the cheese and stir until well blended. Turn the mixture into the pre-baked pastry, and spread out the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg if desired. Bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and completely baked through, about 30-minutes. To test for doneness, stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling � if it comes out clean, the quiche is baked through. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Variation: Slice a medium sized onion paper thin. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat; add the onions and season lightly with salt. Cover and cook until the onions are very tender and translucent and slightly browned on the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and spread over the pre-baked pastry before adding the custard. Basic Pastry: Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to mix. Cut the butter in chunks and add to the flour. Process, using pulses until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. With the food processor running, add the water and process briefly, using pulses, just until the pastry begins to hold together in large clumps. Turn the pastry onto a floured work surface and gather it into a ball. Continue with recipe above. |