Never in all my gluten-free years have I encountered a flaky crust substitute. And as of last weekend, I made the most delicious quiche with a buttery, flaky, pastry-like crust that could only be described as "decadent". In no way is this a healthy breakfast option with the pork bacon, cream, and melted cheese (though we did load it up with some vegetables so that's something) but sometimes you just need to eat some honest-to-goodness heart and soul food.
I have been gluten-free for 13 years now. It's crazy thinking about how much time has passed and I can't even remember what it was like NOT being gluten-free anymore. In all that time, the words "gluten-free" and "flaky" were never uttered. Baking gluten-free, many times, produces a very dense dough and so it was always difficut to find respectable substitutes for pastries or crusts. I am not joking when I say I have discovered the holy grail of crusts. I think my S.O. and I were completely spellbound by it. We just kept saying to ourselves "I can't believe it worked".
This quiche is very diverse! A traditional Quiche Lorraine is meat and cheese. In the one pictured above, we added lots and lots of vegetables (you know how I love my veggies) so I'll give you the recipe for a traditional Quiche Lorraine and you can do with it how you please :)
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 cup plus 2 tblsps All-Purpose Gluten-Free Four
1/4 tsp salt
6 tblsps cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tblsp apple cider vinegar
For the Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of ground black pepper
1/4 lb sliced bacon, cooked but not crispy
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (I actually used Gouda in mine)
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions:
1. For the crust: Mix together the flour and salt. Cut the butter into chunks and using your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients to create a coarse meal. Make a well in the center and crack the egg into it. Add the vinegar. Use a fork to stir from the center outwards, working the flour into the egg to form a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate if too soft to roll out, maybe about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch quiche dish or deep-dish pie plate.
3. Roll out the crust between 2 sheets of lightly floured (GF flour) parchment paper into a 14-inch round. Fit the pastry into the greased dish. Use a fork to indent all of the edges.
4. Whisk together the cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Chop the bacon and scatter it over the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Strain the custard over the bacon and sprinkle the top with parsley.
6. Bake on the bottom rack for 15 minutes. Transfer the dish to the middle rack and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for another 30 minutes or until the custard is set. Let it cool slightly before serving.
7. We had actually made this the night before since we're so crunched on time in the morning and put it in the fridge. Reheated tastes just as good!