Sarah’s Quiche Lorraine

 

Sarah Franklin, Roosevelt’s deceased and beloved wife, in my horror novel Maledicus: Investigative Paranormal Society Book I was an excellent and accomplished cook.  In some ways, besides being a horror novel, this is also a love story about a man who so loved his wife that even years after her death, he has not stopped grieving for her or loving her.  He still wears their wedding band, and he still misses her every day when he wakes up in an empty bed.

Sarah enjoyed cooking for him and making dishes that he would never have attempted himself. One of his favorites was her Quiche Lorraine.  This is Sarah’s version of a traditional dish. Her recipe follows:

*Use either a premade 9 inch pastry dough, or make it from scratch.

Ingredients for crust:

– 1 cup all-purpose flour

– 1/3 cup shortening

– pinch of salt

– 3 tablespoons cold water

Directions for crust:

Mix salt and flour in a bowl. Add the shortening, using a pastry blender, until the pieces  are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and toss with a fork until all flour is moistened

Shape the flour into a single ball. Then, form it into a flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until the dough is firm and cold but still malleable.

Preheat oven to 425° F. With floured rolling pin, roll the pastry into a round form 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch quiche dish or glass pie plate. Fold the pastry into fourths; place into dish. Press against bottom and side.

Line the pastry with a double thickness of foil.  Press the foil gently onto the side and bottom of the pastry. Let the foil extend over edge of pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil, and bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If the crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with back of spoon.

After the piecrust has been made,

Ingredients for the Quiche:

– 12 slices of bacon, fried crispy and crumbled

– 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

– 1/3 cup chopped scallions

– 1 and 3/4 cups light cream

– ¼ teaspoon cayenne or crushed red pepper

– ½ teaspoon salt

– ½ teaspoon sugar

– 4 eggs

Directions:

– Preheat oven to 425°

– Whisk eggs slightly, then add remaining ingredients, and whisk a bit more.

– pour mixture into pie pan

– bake for 15 minutes at 425°

– reduce oven heat to 300°

– bake additional 30 minutes

– the Quiche is ready when a butter knife is inserted into the center and comes out clean

– let the Quiche stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!!

(photos courtesy of Liz French)

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