Endive Ham Mini Quiches
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Mini quiches with tender endives and ham cubes baked in a flaky pâte brisée. Uses a subtly tangy sour cream dough and a creamy gruyère-egg custard. Aromatic red onion and garlic soften in olive oil, mingling with smoky ham and delicate endives. Chopped chives on top add a fresh pop. Baked until golden and set — edges crisp, custard creamy. A versatile savory snack or light meal.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
30 min
Total:
Servings:
24 mini quiches
#French-inspired
#savory snacks
#baking
#brunch
#pastry
Flaky crust. Creamy custard. Endive’s bittersweet bite, tender, no bitterness if treated right. Swapping ham for smoked turkey changed the game—less salt, deeper aroma. Gruyère keeps custard thick, melting just right. Sour cream in dough adds subtle tang, softens crumb—less crumbly than butter-only dough. Chill dough or everything collapses, cracks or shrinks. Baking low rack stalls burnt bottoms, supports crispy base. Watch edges for golden glow; custard jiggles slightly, not liquid. Let sit before unmolding, or filling spills and dough sticks. Endives need care — overcook and bitterness attacks. Mix eggs milk gently; season smart, prevent bland quiches. Perfect mini bites for anytime, green salad or alone. Satisfying, but watch salt and wetness tightly.
Ingredients
PÂTE BRISÉE
- 440 ml (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
- 200 ml (7/8 cup) cold butter, diced
- 140 ml (2/3 cup) sour cream
- water as needed
- 24 aluminum mini tartlet molds (about 7.5 cm x 2 cm)
GARNITURE
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 25 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) olive oil
- 280 g (10 oz) diced smoked turkey
- 2 endives, ribs removed, chopped
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) whole milk
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) aged gruyère cheese, grated
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh chives, cut into 1/2 cm pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About the ingredients
Flour reduced from 2 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 for lighter pastry, less dense. Butter lowered slightly; too much and crust gets heavy, greasy. Sour cream replaces part butter, adds moisture plus tang, helping dough bind without toughness. Water added sparingly—too much makes dough sticky. Switched ham for smoked turkey cubes—less salty, deeper flavor, caramelizes nicely for texture contrast. Whole milk for richer custard over skim or 2%. Gruyère chose for smooth melt and nutty notes; cheddar or Emmental can substitute but watch sharpness levels. Onion and garlic amounts trimmed slightly to balance without overpowering. Fresh chives necessary for bright finish—dried herbs lose that punch. Endive core removed, chopped finely; preserves mild bitterness. Aluminum molds recommended; nonstick necessary to avoid breakage. Spray grease as backup if dough clings.
Method
PÂTE BRISÉE
- 1. Pulse flour and salt briefly in a food processor just to combine. Add cold butter cubes; pulse until mixture looks coarse and crumbly like cornmeal. Do not overwork or the dough heats up, toughening crust.
- 2. Add sour cream and pulse again, adding tiny amounts of cold water if dough doesn’t come together easily. Stop as soon as a rough ball forms.
- 3. Transfer dough to a clean surface. Gently knead once or twice to unify. Wrap in cling film; chill at least 30 minutes — helps gluten relax and butter firm for flaky pastry.
- 4. Roll dough out thin, about 3 mm thick. Use a 9 cm round cutter to cut 24 circles. Press gently into tartlet molds, lifting dough slightly up sides for crisp edges. Re-chill 25-30 minutes so dough firms up again before baking—prevents shrinking.
- 5. Preheat oven to 185°C (365°F). Place oven rack low for good bottom crispness.
FILLING
- 6. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sweat onion and garlic until translucent, smelling sweet and softening but not coloring—any browning dulls flavor.
- 7. Add diced smoked turkey; stir until it begins to caramelize gently, about 4 minutes. Turkey adds nice smoky depth compared to ham.
- 8. Toss in chopped endives; cook 2 minutes until they begin to wilt but retain some bite. Endives are delicate—overcooking turns bitter and mushy.
- 9. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer mixture to bowl to cool slightly, so eggs won’t scramble when mixed.
- 10. In separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Salt and pepper again; custard should be lightly seasoned for best balance.
- 11. To assemble: distribute turkey-endive mixture evenly into dough-lined tins, avoiding crowding edges—helps custard set well and crust brown evenly.
- 12. Sprinkle grated gruyère over each. Pour egg-milk blend slowly into tartelettes to just under rim—don’t overfill or quiches will spill and sog the crust.
- 13. Scatter chive pieces on top for fresh herb aroma and color contrast.
- 14. Bake 28-33 minutes on lower rack. Look for golden crust edges, puffed and just set custard with slight jiggle in center. Avoid overbaking or custard gets rubbery and dry.
- 15. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before unmolding. Warm quiches detach easily and filling firms up slightly at resting.
- 16. Serve warm or at room temperature. Good with lightly dressed greens or pickles.
Cooking tips
Pulse flour salt briefly; overdo and mix heats . Short bursts keep dough flaky. Add cold butter cut small cubes—melts slower, maintains texture. Sour cream provides moisture and acidity—helps gluten but don’t add all liquid at once; add water only if dough too dry but minimal; sticky dough means too wet. Forming dough ball briefly kneads but don’t overwork or rolls tough. Chill dough twice: once after mixing to firm fats, again after lining molds to reduce shrinkage during baking. Roll evenly thin for uniform cooking. Use cutter size slightly bigger than mold diameter so dough can be pressed up sides; helps crust hold shape. Cooking onions low and slow builds depth without caramelizing harshly; garlic last to avoid burning. Turkey added after softening to release smoky fat. Endives added last, just wilting preserves delicate textures and cuts bitterness. Mix eggs and milk fully beaten to avoid curds; season here ensures overall flavor balance. Assemble in order: meat mixture, gruyère, custard. Don’t overfill—leave slight rim. Oven rack low heat directs strong bottom heat crisping crust; 28-33 minutes ideal—look for golden edges and baked set custard with slight jiggle. Cooling before unmolding eases removal and firming. Serve warm or cool. Makes ahead well if reheated in oven to restore flakiness. Avoid microwave; pastry sogs.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Keep dough cold always. Butter diced small, pulses quick. Overworking? Dough warms, turns greasy, tough crust. Chill twice; after mixing and after shaping. Helps gluten relax, prevents shrinkage in oven. Less water better; sticky dough means too wet. Thin dough roll, about 3mm; uniform thickness stops uneven baking. Cutter 9cm round to fit molds, push dough slightly up sides so edges crisp. Avoid rushing—pastry hates it. Resting key for flaky layers.
- 💡 Sweat onions low and slow for soft, sweet flavor. Garlic added last bit, watch closely—burnt garlic tastes bitter, kills subtlety. Turkey cubes tossed in once onion promises sweat not brownness, lets meat caramelize gently but not crisp. Endives added last minute, quick toss; too long shrivels, bitterness booms. Salt sparingly on veggies to balance moisture release. Timing here controls all flavor layers and texture contrast.
- 💡 Eggs mixed fully with whole milk before seasoning separately. Layer salt—custard and filling both need light seasoning or quiche feels flat. Pour custard carefully under rim; overfill and edges soggy, spills mess oven. Top with grated gruyère cracks top with flavor and golden melt, but don’t hide ingredients. Chives sprinkled fresh last second for aroma and bright color pop.
- 💡 Oven rack on lower third. Bottom heat crisps tart bases well—too high and bottoms burn or don’t cook fully. Quiches bake 28 to 33 minutes; watch edges for deep gold, custard jiggle slight like gentle wobble, not liquid or dry. Jiggle is your doneness sensor. Cool 5 minutes in pan so filling firms—hot quiches break when unmolding, filling spills. Handle with care.
- 💡 Freeze shaped dough if in hurry; thaw chilled before filling. Substitutes: sour cream replaced with Greek yogurt but add less water for dough consistency. Gruyère swap Swiss or cheddar but avoid overly sharp flavors—they overpower delicate endives and turkey. Use aluminum molds with nonstick spray for smooth removal or risk cracked tart bottoms. Leftovers reheat best in oven, microwave kills crust crispness.
Common questions
How to avoid tough crust?
Keep everything cold. Cut butter small, pulse dough fast. Chill twice—after mixing and after shaping. Add tiny water only if needed. Don’t overwork dough or heat develops. Roll evenly thin; pressure helps edges crisp. Dough shrinks? Re-chill before baking.
Can I use ham instead of turkey?
Yes, though ham saltier, may need less seasoning. Turkey gives smoky depth softer salt. Ham can overcook fast; watch browning times. Smoked turkey caramelizes well and adds texture contrast. If turkey scarce, small diced cooked ham okay but flavor changes.
What if custard overflows?
Too much filling spills, sogs crust, messes oven. Fill just below rim to keep crisp edges. If spills happen, clean quickly. Custard too loose? Whisk eggs more, use whole milk not skim. Pour slowly; patience here controls crust texture.
How to store leftovers?
Cool fully before refrigerating in covered dish or plastic wrap lined containers. Reheat in oven to revive flaky crust, about 10 minutes at moderate heat. Avoid microwave—makes crust soggy. Can freeze baked quiches; thaw overnight in fridge and reheat similarly.
