Mini Quiche Lorraine

Don't overfill the shells - the custard puffs up during baking. Pre-baking empty shells for 5 minutes prevents soggy bottoms. The custard should jiggle slightly when done - it sets as it cools. Gruyère is traditional, but Swiss or sharp cheddar work well too.

Quiche Lorraine originates in the Lorraine region of northeastern France, a territory on the historic German-French border that was contested between France and Germany through the 19th and 20th centuries. The dish's name reflects French regional identity: Lorraine (from the medieval kingdom of Lotharingia) was definitively part of France after World War II. Early recipes from the 16th century describe an open pastry tart filled with eggs and cream; the addition of bacon (lardons, smoked strips of pork fat) is the defining characteristic of the Lorraine version. Cheese — a later addition — is not present in the oldest Lorraine recipes and remains controversial among purists. The name quiche itself derives from the German Küchen (cake) or the Lorraine dialect word kiche, reflecting the region's German linguistic influence. Quiche Lorraine reached American audiences through French-trained chefs and food writers including James Beard, who published the recipe in his 1966 American Cookery, and Julia Child, whose television program reached millions of American households from the early 1960s onward. By the 1970s, quiche had become one of the most fashionable dishes at American brunch tables, and the mini format — individual quiches baked in tart pans — became a standard of American catering.