Asparagus Lemon Quiche

YIELD: 6 servings

Because it’s it’s spring, because it’s good: Serve this Asparagus Lemon Quiche

INGREDIENTS

PIE CRUST

• 150 grams wheat flour type 550
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 150 grams butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, as needed

FILLING

• 500 grams asparagus trimmed
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons butter
• 2 small shallots or 1 small onion, finely minced
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 1⁄4-inch-thick slice lemon including rind, cut into slivers
• 2 eggs, size M
• 120 ml cream; Ulrike: coffee cream
• 80 ml sour cream; Ulrike: crème fraîche
• 10 grams minced mixed fresh herbs; Ulrike: chives and tarragon
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated
• Olive oil for brushing, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. PIE CRUST: Mix together the flour and salt with a pastry blender *. Add butter and mix until the mixture forms lima bean-size pieces. Slowly add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, but not wet.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
3. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. If you are working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured.
4. Fit the dough into the pie plate and freeze for 30 minutes.
5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 205 °C/400 °F.
6. Blanch asparagus in a steamer for 3 minutes, then drain in a colander, run under cold water and pat dry.
7. Cut off the asparagus tips—make them about 3 inches long. Cut the remaining stalks on the bias into chunks about 1 inch wide.
8. Put the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When it’s melted, toss in the shallots or onion and cook, stirring, just until softened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and scrape into the frozen crust, spreading them evenly. Scatter over the lemon and sliced asparagus stalks.
9. Whisk the eggs, cream, sour cream and herbs together in a bowl just until blended. Season with 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and pepper, then pour the mixture into the crust. Arrange the asparagus tips in any way you’d like on top of the filling.
10. Bake the quiche for 25 to 30 minutes, sprinkling on the Parm, if using, after it has been in the oven for 20 minutes. The quiche is done when the custard is set—a tester will come out clean—and puffed. Transfer to a rack and, if you like, brush some olive oil over the top, using only enough to give it a gloss.
11. Serve the quiche when it’s just warm or has come to room temperature.

STORING: The Asparagus Lemon Quiche is at its peak the day it is made—best within a few hours of being baked. If you’ve got leftovers, refrigerate them and have them as a snack the next day.

total time: 3 hours
preparation time: 15 minutes
baking time: 30 minutes

Strawberry Mini Cakes

YIELD: 24 mini muffins

The look of this strawberry mini cakes is adorable: a cake baked in a mini muffin form, covered in a soft white-chocolate glaze.

INGREDIENTS

CAKES

• 6 hulled strawberries, quartered lenghtwise. The chunks should be short enough to drop easily into the muffin cups
• 67 grams granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 eggs, size M at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon rose extract; optional, Ulrike: omitted
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 86 grams all-purpose flour
• 85 grams butter, melted with the chocolate
• 85 grams white-chocolate bar, melted with the butter
• 1 tablespoon milk

TOPPING:

• 85 grams white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil
• Sprinkles, optional; Ulrike: omitted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. CAKES: Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 180 °C fan. Line a 24-hole mini-muffin pan with cupcake papers.
2. Working in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and salt. Drop in the eggs and beat with a mixer on medium speed until foamy and slightly thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract and the rose extractfollowed by the corn syrup.
3. Switch to a flexible spatula, and blend in the flour in two or three additions. You’ll have a thick batter. Mix the melted butter-chocolate mix into the batter in three or four additions, stirring gently until well incorporated. The batter will be stretchy and a bit slippery. When it’s fully blended into the batter, stir in the milk.
4. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of batter into each muffin cup, and then drop in a piece of strawberry. Divide the remaining batter evenly among the cakes, covering each berry.
5. Bake the cakes for 11 to 13 minutes, or until a slender tester poked into the center of a cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack, and let rest for 2 minutes before carefully removing the cakes; cool to room temperature on the rack.
6. TOPPING: In a saucepan, melt together the chocolate and oil on low heat. White chocolate is fragile and finicky — it burns quickly — so stay close. Stir the mixture to make sure it’s smooth.
7. One by one, dip the tops of the baby cakes into the chocolate, swirling the cakes to even out the topping and allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl or pan. Return the cakes to the rack and, if you’d like, finish with sprinkles.
8. You can refrigerate the cakes for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate or leave them at room temperature. Chilled or not, the chocolate will remain a tad soft, and that’s nice. Kept in a covered container, the strawberry mini cakes will hold for a day or two

total time: 1 hour
preparation time: 15 minutes
baking time: 13 minutes