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So it's a beautiful Saturday morning; Spring is in full bloom, the weather is a delicious 26 Degrees C, and it's the perfect day for Jarrod's birthday!! So, we thought we would put the opportunity to good use, and bring him some cheesy Quiche Puffs!! This is a super simple recipe, and the final product is a melt-in-your-mouth pastry which go down very well at BBQs and parties. This is a recipe for one batch, however you can make as many as you want by upping your ingredient volume.
First, you need:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup self raising flour
1 or 2 cloves crushed garlic
1 white onion (diced)
1 cup sun dried tomato (chopped)
3/4 cup grated cheese
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1 cup chopped fake bacon (you could use real bacon, if you're into that)
2 teaspoons intalian herbs
1 teaspoon extra oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
Approx 4 sheets of puff pastry
Muffin tray (oiled)
salt and pepper to taste
Here's what you do:
As I said, it's a really 'no-brainer' recipe. Basically, you just need to pre-heat your oven to 180C, then start mixing together your ingredients. I always make sure that I pull apart my frozen puff pastry sheets before they thaw - it can get really stricky prying them apart once they have become soft! Set them to one side. Start by whisking your egg and milk together. Now add your flour and herbs. At this point, you can put in your onion, spinach, tomato, garlic, bacon, and half the grated cheese (we're saving some for later). Mix it all up in a bowl, and add your pinch of salt and pepper.
It sure doesn't look to appetizing at the moment, but trust me, it turns out well in the end! By now, your pastry should be soft, and our next step is to cut the pastry into circles. We used an old tea cup, as it was the perfect size, but you can use a glass or any other circular implement you have handy. If you don't have any of these, just use a knife, it's just a little more time consuming.
Once the pastry cups are in place, start spooning in your mixture. You will want to fill them up until almost full, giving just a tiny little lip around the edge so they can puff up nicely. If you get any drips around the edge of the tray, make sure to wipe them away before popping them in the oven (this just helps you later when you're cleaning it all up - having to scratch burnt mixture off your trays is not only annoying but it could also scratch away at your non-stick coating).
Once the mixture is all spooned in, grab that extra bit of cheese you have left over, and sprinkle it in to each cup. This will just make sure that your puffs are golden brown and delicious looking after they come out of the oven.
Ok, they're ready to go into the oven! On 180C they will need approx 15-20 minutes, however you can test them just by lightly pressing down on one - if they spring back up, they are ready. They should look golden brown on the top - that's usually how I can tell they are ready. Of course, it always helps if you have a taste tester nearby, to check that they are cooked properly on the inside!
Space them out evenly on a cooling rack so that they can cool off without going soggy. They can be eaten right away, or you can pop them in the fridge and serve them cold - they're quite delicious either way!
So, how easy was that!! Of course, you can add whatever ingredients you like to them. I wouldn't say they're super duper healthy, but of course you could make them healthier by using low fat/less cheese, soy milk, wholemeal self raising flour, and perhaps using a low fat pastry. This recipe can also be used to make one large quiche also - cooking time will just need to be adjusted. ENJOY! And...
Happy Birthday Jarrod!!!!
