Blue Cheese and Broccoli Mini Quiches with Walnut Pastry

Blue Cheese (Stilton) & Broccoli Mini Quiches with Walnut & Cheese Pastry

These are great make ahead and freeze mini-quiches.  I usually make a huge batch of about 100 or more and pack tightly into boxes of 24 ready for any occasion.  Especially good for drinks parties and the perfect combination of ingredients for that Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers.  

Just use whatever blue cheese you like best... I used Stilton or if you're not a blue-cheese fan then a strong cheddar will do nicely.  You could also buy a block of shortcrust pastry if you're in a hurry but remember to use the all butter kind...I really prefer it for texture and flavour. 

For the pastry. 

3oz / 75g self raising flour

3oz / 75g wholewheat flour     you can use just 6oz of plain flour if you don't have any wholewheat

pinch of salt

half teaspoon of dry mustard powder (optional)

(sieve these ingredients together in a bowl)

3oz/ 75g butter

2oz/ 50 g grated cheddar

Rub the fat into the flour then add

1oz /25g walnuts finely chopped

Bind with enough cold water to make a pliable dough.

refrigerate for half an hour.

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The Filling.

1 head of broccoli stalk removed and cut into small pieces then blanched

3 eggs

half a pint of double cream

6 oz Stilton or another blue cheese of your choice.

1 onion finely diced and sauteed in a little butter

seasoning

grated nutmeg

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Put the Stilton or whatever Blue Cheese you prefer, cream, eggs, sauteed onion into a food processor & blitz until it starts to thicken. Season to taste.

Roll out the pastry thinly & use to line around 24 - 36 well greased mini muffin cases. use a cutter large enough so that the pastry comes up to the top of the holes in the muffin tray

Place some blanched broccoli into each case.

Spoon over the cheese mixture taking care not to overfill.

Give the trays a sharp rap on the table to settle the mixture and add a little more filling if needed.

Grate over some nutmeg

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Bake at 180c for around 15 mins or until lovely & golden . Just test to make sure the underneath of the pastry is cooked through. 

remove onto a cooling rack after around 3 mins .