Mary Berry Mini Quiche​ Recipe

Mary Berry Mini Quiche is a classic British party snack. These bite-sized pastries feature a rich egg custard, salty bacon lardons, and sharp mature Cheddar cheese inside a crisp shortcrust base.

I’ve made these for dozens of garden parties and learned the biggest mistake is skipping the fridge time for the dough. If you don’t chill the pastry, it’ll shrink down the sides of the tin and your filling will spill over. That’s the difference between a neat tart and a mess.

The mature Cheddar is doing more work than you’d think. Without it, the custard tastes a bit flat and lacks that sharp hit of flavour. I always serve these at room temperature so the pastry stays crisp.

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Mary Berry Mini Quiche Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 175g (6oz) plain flour
• 90g (3oz) chilled butter, cubed
• 3 tbsp cold water

For the Filling

• 150g (5oz) bacon lardons
• 3 large eggs
• 200ml (7fl oz) double cream
• 75g (3oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How To Make Mary Berry Mini Quiche

1. Make the pastry: Put the flour in a large bowl and add the chilled butter cubes. Rub the fat into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs with no large lumps left. Pour in the cold water and use your hand to bring the dough together into a smooth ball. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
2. Prepare the tins: Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with a little butter to make sure the tarts don’t stick. Dust your work surface with a little plain flour and roll the dough out until it’s about 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. Use a 7cm (3 inch) fluted cutter to stamp out 12 circles. Press the pastry discs gently into the bottom and sides of the tin holes.
3. Blind bake the pastry: Heat your oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6) and put a baking sheet inside to get hot. Prick the base of each pastry case with a fork several times to stop air bubbles forming. Slide the tin onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Take the tin out when the pastry looks dry and sandy rather than wet.
4. Add the filling: Put the bacon lardons into a dry frying pan over a medium heat on the hob. Cook them for about 5 minutes until the fat has rendered out and the edges are crisp. Scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon and put it on kitchen roll to dry. Divide the cooked bacon or your chosen vegetables evenly between the 12 pastry cases.
5. Create and pour the custard: Crack the eggs into a large glass jug and pour in the double cream. Whisk them together with a fork until the yellow of the yolk is fully mixed into the white and cream. Stir in the grated Cheddar cheese and the chopped chives. Season the mixture with salt and pepper then pour it carefully into the cases until it almost reaches the top.
6. Bake the quiches: Lower the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) before putting the tin back inside. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the filling has puffed up and feels firm when touched. The tops should be a light golden brown and the pastry should look crisp. Lift them out of the tin once they’ve cooled for 5 minutes.

Recipe Tips

• Chill the dough. Cold pastry is much easier to handle and won’t shrink when it hits the hot oven.
• Cook the bacon first. Frying the lardons before adding them to the case keeps them crisp and stops extra grease from thinning the custard.
• Use a jug. Pouring the egg mixture from a vessel with a spout prevents messy spills on the pastry edges that cause sticking.
• Check the base. If the pastry looks wet after the first 10 minutes in the oven, give it another 2 minutes before adding the filling.
• Avoid overfilling. Leave a tiny gap at the top of the pastry so the custard doesn’t bubble over and glue the quiche to the tin.
• Make them ahead. You can bake these a day early and keep them in an airtight container once they’ve cooled completely.

What To Serve With Mini Quiche

These are great alongside a fresh green salad or some crunchy coleslaw. You can also serve them as part of a buffet with sausage rolls, vegetable crudités, and a light garlic dip.

How To Store Mini Quiche

Fridge

Keep the quiches in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure they’re completely cold before you put the lid on to prevent the pastry from going soft.

Reheat

Put them on a tray in a 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) oven for 5-8 minutes until warmed through. Microwaving is faster but it’ll make the pastry rubbery and lose its crunch.

Freeze

Wrap the cold quiches tightly in clingfilm or foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them in the oven.

Mary Berry Mini Quiche Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 12):

• Calories: 225kcal
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 11g
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 310mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

FAQs

Can I use store-bought pastry for Mary Berry Mini Quiche?

Yes, just make sure you buy an all-butter shortcrust pastry to get the right flavour and texture.

Why did my pastry shrink down the sides?

The dough likely wasn’t chilled long enough or you stretched it too much when pressing it into the tin holes.

Can I use single cream instead of double cream?

No, single cream is too thin and won’t allow the custard to set firmly enough to hold its shape.

How do I stop the bottoms from getting soggy?

Make sure you blind bake the empty pastry cases until they’re dry to the touch before adding any wet ingredients.

Can I make these in a different size tin?

Yes, you can use a smaller jam tart tin, but you’ll need a smaller cutter and the baking time will drop to about 12 minutes.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe
• Mary Berry Lemon Roulade Recipe
• Mary Berry Lamb Moussaka Recipe