Followed by Flurries

At first I thought my bleary eyes were deceiving me~But no, it was snow! Just a few flurries that melted instantly, but it was such a welcome site. Doesn't the sky look like cotton candy? =)

OK, enough about the weather, on to that Quiche Lorraine recipe I've been promising.

Let me start off by saying that while the recipe is very simple, it is the tools that make the difference here. A good egg beater makes whipping the batter until it is nice and fluffy much easier than doing it by hand with a fork. I also use a good think deep dish pie plate with a rim to protect the edge of the crust from burning. This way I do not have to cover the edges with foil.



OK let's get started.... first pre-heat your oven to 425F degrees. Then chop up 1/2 small onion, 3 or 4 mushrooms ( I used the baby bellas) and 4 slices of thick cut bacon (if you are using regular cut bacon, use 8 slices).

Next... saute' onions, mushrooms & bacon in a small amount of olive oil (you won't need much, since the bacon will soon be making its own grease). Add a bit of salt and pepper to your taste. Cook until the bacon is to your liking. For a quiche, I usually stop cooking before the bacon gets very crispy, but this is up to you. Don't for get to drain off the extra fat.

While this is cooking, you will need to bake your pie shell, 5 minutes in the hot oven should do it. I use the Pillsbury Pie Crusts, the ones you roll out and put in your own pan. I can make a fairly decent shell from scratch, but at 5:30 in the morning I am in no mood for that foolishness. You can also use the ready made shells just make sure you get the deep dish ones and place them in a pie plate during baking to insulate them. To keep the shell from puffing up during baking, prick the bottom and sides with a fork or if you have pie weights, use those.

Now it is time to assemble. Pour the bacon, onions and mushrooms into the pie shell while it is still hot. Then in a large mixing bowl combine 6 large eggs and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste. Using an egg beater or fork, whip up mixture until it is light and has lots of air bubbles in it. This step is important because it is the difference in having a fluffy light quiche or not. Pour the egg mixture over the bacon mixture ~ do not stir. Lastly, sprinkle 3/4 to 1 cup of grated Swiss cheese into the quiche ~ again, do not stir.

Now pop it into that hot oven and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until it is bubbled over and golden brown. Like this....

As the quiche cools, it will deflate. This is supposed to happen and just as a little warning, I would wait until it cools a bit to try and eat it. If not, you could really hurt yourself!

Of, course you could vary this recipe to your liking. You could put shallots, or chive instead of onions. You could add a little freshly ground nutmeg to your egg batter ( I think this is yummy, but my hubby and son do not. It depends on where you stand with nutmeg.) You could also change the type of meat and cheese, but then you wouldn't have a Quiche Lorraine you would have a Quiche Something else.... but that would be OK too.

If you have a question about the recipe, or if I have been unclear about something, just ask. I should be awake today, so I can answer you.

Enjoy~Rhonda