No-Frills, Refined White Pepper Mini Quiche Recipe

There's something especially alluring about miniature food. Perhaps it's the fact that it's just about bite-sized and extra convenient to consume, or maybe it's merely the charm of seeing something that's usually larger in a smaller format. As far as these no-frills, refined white pepper mini quiches go, it's all that plus their tantalizing flavor. Tasting Table recipe developer Kara Barrett shares, "I wanted to showcase how creamy, delicate, and flavor rich a simple quiche could be," and adds, "It's all about minimalism with this dish." Although it can be fun to pack loads of ingredients into a quiche, Barrett points out, "It should be able to stand on its own." 

Save the wild add-ons for your next frittata, and follow Barrett's lead: "This recipe is about going back to the basics." The optimal ratio of eggs to cream is key to the perfect consistency, and she describes, "For me, quiche is about a silky, creamy texture. That's what I love about quiche and this recipe." You can't go wrong with this stellar combination, delicately seasoned with nutmeg and white pepper.

You'll only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe: Sarawak white peppercorns, a package of thawed puff pastry sheets, large eggs, heavy whipping cream, fine sea salt, and freshly ground nutmeg. Barrett opts for pre-made pastry to save time and notes, "You can make your own crust, yes, but you have this easy option when there isn't a lot of time and you want to pull together a delicious meal with minimal effort."

Barrett shares, "A little nutmeg is a classic in terms of quiche. It enhances flavor without overwhelming." As for the Sarawak white peppercorns, she explains that they originate from Malaysia and "add a lovely dimension and flavor contrast." Compared with black peppercorns which are familiar to most home cooks, "they are touted as being more floral," and "are also considered one of the better white peppercorns in the world." This minor ingredient plays a key role in this quiche, which pays tribute to its influence in the spice world. As Barrett reminds us, "pepper has a long, rich history in the world and was, at one point in time, considered so valuable that it was basically currency."

Start by preheating the oven to 325 F and coating four small ramekins with cooking spray or butter. Next, add the white peppercorns to a skillet over medium-low heat and toast them for 1 to 2 minutes until they are fragrant. Barrett explains that this step "ensures you are bringing forward as much of the pepper flavor as possible." Transfer the peppercorns to a mortar or spice grinder and grind them finely for more "texture variation," per our recipe developer.

Set the ground pepper aside and turn to the puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to roll the sheet out into a large rectangle with dimensions of about 14x17 inches. Cut the rectangle into four equally-sized pieces. If necessary, use one of the extra pastry sheets to fix any tears in the dough. 

Carefully line the four ramekins with each piece of puff pastry and prick the bottom with a fork. Crack an egg into a small bowl and whisk it to make an egg wash. Then, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the dough with the egg wash. Par-bake the dough for 5 minutes, then remove the ramekins from the oven and set them aside while you prepare the filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, eggs (including the remaining eggwash), salt, nutmeg, and ground white pepper until the mixture is uniform. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender or pass the mixture through a strainer if you want the smoothest filling possible.

Carefully pour the egg mixture into each of the four ramekins, filling them only ¾ of the way since they will expand. Bake the mini quiches in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is set yet still slightly wobbly. You'll notice that the filling will puff up in the oven and deflate once you remove the quiches from the heat, and Barrett assures us that this is normal. Let the quiches cool down and serve them at room temperature or chilled, as our recipe developer prefers.

Barrett shares, "These are versatile. You can serve as a first course, or as a light brunch option for guests along with a beautiful summer salad. You can serve them in ramekins or pop them out, wrap them, and take them on a picnic." Plus, there's no need to slice these into portions since they are already individually sized. Store extra quiches in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days.