This fig quiche, made with dried figs and Parmesan cheese, brings me back to being four or five years old when I was a fanatic for fig cookies. They were the solution to all of my problems. Just tripped and slightly scraped my knee? Comfort me with fig cookies. LeVar Burton sharing books on Reading Rainbow? I had to watch while eating fig cookies. One night, I hid a package under my bed, my plan to retrieve them when the lights were turned off so I could enjoy them in the dark, undisturbed.
No sooner had I stashed my treasure than my bedroom door flung open, my mom standing there, arms crossed, scolding.
“Did you take fig cookies from the kitchen?” I was called out.
“Answer me!” she said.
I slowly shook my head no.
“What’s under the bed then?”
I reached under the bed and pulled out my contraband.
“Didn’t I tell you that you couldn’t have fig cookies?”
If I confessed to knowing that I was not allowed the cookies, I’d lose plausible deniability about what I actually could or couldn’t hear. Enter: the blank stare.
“Go grab the TV and put it in the other room,” she ordered.
I sulked over to the small wardrobe dresser that doubled as a console for our small, 13-inch TV that had a handle on top, and I carried it to the next room.
No explanation was needed. I fully understood that my fig cookie heist cost me the pleasure of watching Saturday morning cartoons.
But you know what? I love figs so much, I’d do it all over again. If your love of figs equals my own, then you will love this quiche. The sweetness of the dried figs offers a nice balance to the saltiness of the bacon.
1 nine-inch quiche
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly dust the countertop with flour and roll out the pie dough to about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Roll the overhanging dough to the edge of the pan and crimp.
- Place the figs and Parmesan in the bottom of the pie shell, reserving a few slices of figs for the top of the quiche.
- Place the quiche on a baking sheet and slowly pour in the custard.
- Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until a light film forms on top of the quiche’s custard, about 15 minutes.
- Gently remove the quiche from the oven. Layer the bacon slices and the reserved sliced figs on top of the quiche. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the center is set, 20 to 25 minutes longer.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- To store, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 7 days. To reheat: Set the rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover slices with aluminum foil and heat until their centers are warm, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Pour ½ cup of water into a measuring cup filled with ice cubes. Set aside.
- Place the cubes of butter on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to quickly chill.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter to the flour mixture and, using a pastry cutter, fork, food processor, or stand mixer, cut the butter into the flour until there are no visible bits of butter that are larger than a pea (about ½-inch pieces). This will allow the crust to be marbled with butter so it melts in the oven while it bakes, and the steam from the butter will separate the crust into multiple layers—resulting in a flaky crust.
- Pour ¼ cup of the ice water into the flour and butter mixture. Using your hands, gently work the water into the flour mixture until the dough comes together. If the dough is still very crumbly and dry, add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
- Lightly flour your work surface and set the dough on top. Gently knead the dough into a ball. Do not overwork the dough or else you may activate the gluten. Having too much water or overworking the dough may mean that your pie dough will contract while you roll it out and will not hold its shape.
- Use your hands to press the dough into a disk 1½ inches thick. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. (If refrigerating for more than 1 hour, let the dough sit on the countertop for 20 to 30 minutes before rolling; you can also freeze the dough for up to 6 months; if freezing, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
- While the dough chills, fill a large bowl or a large baking dish with ice cubes. Place the bowl or baking dish on the countertop to chill your work area. (This is especially helpful to do on a hot day; chilling the countertop helps prevent the butter in your pie dough from melting while you roll it out.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour, basil, chili powder, garlic, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. While whisking, pour in the whole milk. Continue to whisk until the batter becomes light and airy, about 1 minute.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
