Quiche Lorraine, Glinda's version

SERVED FOR BREAKFAST at GLINDA'S GARDEN DAY, SEPTEMBER 2009

This is an adaptation of a recipe from the 1965 edition of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. I wanted it to be reasonably authentic, but recently read that you can substitute yogurt for cream and wanted to try it. The quiche still tastes extremely rich, but there's less butterfat and the yogurt gives it a thick tanginess.

The pie shell is also an adaptation from that Fanny Farmer cookbook, used since I was a newlywed. In the interests of accuracy, most brands of ingredients I used are included.

The recipe is supposed to make enough for two 8" pie shells, but it might be a little skimpy to make a high edge. Because I was also making a 10" Deep Dish Key Lime Pie, I doubled the recipe and it was perfect for 2 quiches and the pie, with a little dough left over.

My mom taught me to divide any extra pie dough into walnut-sized blobs, roll the pieces in cinnamon & sugar then bake right away. She used these pastry nibbles as bribes, hoping to keep us kids from eating the edges off the pie before my dad got home from work.

Pie Crust

2 cups unbleached King Arthur all purpose flour
pinch of baking powder
pinch of nutmeg
Use a fork to lightly mix dry ingredients in bowl.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)

Use a fork to whip & emulsify oil and milk. Pour it over flour mixture and blend with the fork until flour almost disappears. Make two balls. Roll out between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Line 8" pan, using your favorite crimping technique for a raised edge. Prick dough all over with fork. Pre-bake about 12 minutes at 375°F. You can do this ahead of time - wrap well and freeze if holding more than a few hours.

Fanny Farmer said to cook bacon, set aside to drain before crumbling into the pie shell, pour most of the fat out of the pan and then cook chopped onion in the remaining bacon fat. But I hate to cook bacon! So I bought Target's house brand of precooked bacon, threw it in the microwave and skipped the onion. It took most of a package, nuked & crumbled, to cover the bottom of the quiche shell.

I shredded HEB (local store brand) Swiss cheese and mixed it with Brown Cow fat free yogurt and Davidson's pasteurized eggs, added a few cranks of sea salt, a few grinds of pepper and a little more nutmeg and poured it over the bacon.

Filling for one Quiche:

Most of a 2.1 ounce package Market Pantry/Target Brand precooked bacon, microwaved, crumbled into bottom of pie shell

Combine
1/2 pound/8 ounces HEB Swiss Cheese, coarsely grated
16 ounces (1/2 of a big carton) Brown Cow Fat Free Yogurt
3 lightly beaten Davidson's eggs
Sea salt and pepper at your discretion
Shake of nutmeg

The quiche baked at 350°F for somewhere between 35 and 50 minutes - the Divas were arriving so I'm not sure! I used a thin stainless steel spatula blade to test - the quiche was done when the blade came out clean. You probably have your own favorite technique.

Let it cool for a little while before cutting to get neat wedges. I made 2 quiches - leftover slices were delicious cold, too!