Quiche

Looking for that perfect breakfast to start off the New Year (or just another morning)? Well, you can stop now. Make this quiche. You won't regret it. It's the perfect balance of rich and savory, and you can add enough vegetables to somewhat neutralize the unhealthiness of the cream. However, I only use a relatively small amount of cream and use milk as the rest of the liquid so I don't feel too guilty eating a second slice. I also add some cheese to hold the whole quiche together and cut the creaminess a bit.

This particular recipe is a variation of my basic quiche recipe. I personally love the colors and flavor combinations of spinach, roasted tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese, but you can definitely change the ingredients to fit your taste. Use other vegetables or cheeses; just have fun with it! You can't make a bad quiche.

You may also notice that I use a different crust than my typical pie crust. That's because (gasp!) I've never published a savory tart or pie recipe! This is well worth the wait since you get both a quiche recipe and a crust recipe perfect for anything not so sweet. All that's different is that there is less sugar and no eggs. It brings out the buttery flavor in the crust which, in turn, magnifies the flavor of the actual quiche.

1 1/4 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Stick Butter, Chilled & Cubed
5 Eggs
1/2 Cup + 1 T Cream
3/4 Cup + 2 T Milk
1 Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
1 1/2 Cups Grated White Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Drained & Thawed Frozen Chopped Spinach

Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor to combine. Add the butter and pulse until small lumps remain, then drizzle in cold water until it clumps together.

Grease a 9" pie plate. Roll the dough to fit, then press lightly to adhere. Chill until cold and firm, then prick with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375F. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes or until barely golden. Sprinkle immediately with 1/2 cup cheese.

Halve the tomatoes and toss in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until shriveled and aromatic. Heat oven to 425F.

Whisk the eggs, cream, and milk together. Stir in the tomatoes,  spinach, and remaining cheese. Pour into the crust and bake for 30 minutes or until deep golden and set.

Makes 1 Quiche
Recipe Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Susan Herrmann Loomis

Raspberry Walnut Tart

If you're headed to a New Year's party, you need dessert. If you're going to any party, you need dessert. If you plan on sitting on your couch until midnight tomorrow alone with your cats, you need dessert (don't worry, it's nothing to be ashamed of). Basically, any occasion calls for dessert, and this is the perfect showstopper to eat before you start your New Year's resolutions. The delectable scarlet raspberries pair beautifully with nutty toasted walnuts and buttery, flaky crust to make a tart as delicious as it is beautiful.

I start by making the crust. This isn't your ordinary pie crust (though you could make or buy one); this is a walnut pie crust. It differs from my usual recipe in that there's walnuts (of course), only about half the butter, less flour, egg whites, and powdered sugar instead of regular granulated. I bake it twice, first a blind bake to keep it from getting soggy, and then I bake it again once it's filled. Before adding the filling, however, I brush it with a bit of the remaining egg white. This creates a barrier between the crust and the filling so that the crust remains crisp and flaky, but it should be a very thin film (a pastry brush is good for this) since clumps of cooked egg whites are extremely unappetizing. If you do it just right, a crispy crust is well worth the risk.

The filling has three components: the walnuts, the raspberries, and the custard. The walnuts are simple enough; you just have to toast them. The raspberries are even easier since you just have to wash them. The custard is even pretty simple, too. All you have to do is whisk some eggs with a bit of sugar, flour, leavening, vanilla, and salt. I sprinkle the walnuts on the crust and top them with the raspberries, and then I drizzle the custard on top. It doesn't look like much and often doesn't even cover everything completely, but it spreads and puffs during baking. The top becomes crisp and crackly, and the rest is creamy and velvety. The raspberries float to the top, speckling the tart with a bright red hue.

3 Eggs
1 1/4 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 Cups Chopped Walnuts, Toasted & Cooled
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Flour
1/2 + 1/8 tsp Salt
5 T Butter
10 oz Fresh or Frozen Raspberries
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Separate one egg. Whisk the white until frothy, then stir a tablespoon into the yolk. Save the rest. Add 1/4 tsp vanilla. Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts with the powdered sugar until finely ground. Add 1 cup flour and 1/8 tsp salt. Pulse in the butter until small lumps remain. Whisk in the egg yolk mixture. Add cold water until it begins to clump.

Press the dough into a greased 9-11" tart pan. Freeze until firm.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375. Grease a sheet of foil and press onto the tart; fill with pie weights or dried beans/peas. Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and immediately brush with the remaining egg white. Lower heat to 350F.

Combine the remaining eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.

Spread the remaining walnuts on the crust. Sprinkle with raspberries, then pour the custard on top.

Bake the tart until just set, about 30 minutes.

Makes 1 Tart
Recipe Adapted from Cooks Illustrated and www.simplyrecipes.com

12 Most Popular Posts of 2012

It's been a long year. A good one, but a long one filled with a plethora of recipes. As you can tell, my blog went from an occasional creative outlet without a real domain to a well-maintained website filled with delicious recipes and mouth-watering pictures (at least I think so; just let me be proud for a few minutes). To celebrate a year of blogging growth, I have compiled the 12 most popular recipes of 2012. I'm taking requests for 2013, so, if you want a recipe for a specific dish, feel free to post ideas in the comments. Enjoy!

12. Roasted Mushrooms

11. Vanilla Peach Popsicles

10. Garlic Mustard Green Beans

9. Yogurt Berry Pie

8. Caramel Apple Tartlets with Walnut Crumble

7. Ginger Peach Smoothies

6. Peach Crumb Cake

5. Caramel Brownie Pie

4. Bananas Foster Pudding Pie

3. Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes

2. Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse Tart

1. White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies