Onion and Cheese Quiche

This quiche is always a big hit at home. This year I doubled the recipe to make two of them: one for the Christmas potluck lunch at the office and one for the family.

You will notice, I use margarine instead of just butter. I find that it makes the crust more flaky.I like to pre-bake the crust to avoid sogginess. Depending on my mood and the time I have, I use one or the other method described in the Tips below. 

Timing wise: the onions take 45-50 minutes to caramelize (on medium-low ) so I suggest that you start with the dough and cook the onions while the dough is resting in the fridge.

Ingredients
Dough :
2 cups flour
½ cup butter (softened)
3 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons water

Filling:
4 eggs
4 big onions
1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
2 cups grated cheese (Gruyere, Swiss cheese, Jarlsberg)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Nutmeg to taste (1 or 2 pinch)
Salt,pepper

11 in (27 cm) pie pan.

Directions
Prepare the crust

1. Combine the flour, salt, butter and margarine to obtain something like a coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle the water, one tablespoon at a time and mix just enough for the mixture to hold together and turn into a smooth dough. Add more water if needed.
2. Form a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Cooking the onions

1. Peel and slice the onions.
2. Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook slowly uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent around 30-40 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, stir and cook another 15 minutes until the onions are slightly caramelized. The sugar helps caramelize the onions.
   

Assembling and baking the quiche

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200 C), with the rack in the middle position.
2. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll out and transfer to the pan pressing up the sides. See notes below.
3. Bake the shell for 15 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and cream. Stir in the grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put aside half of this mixture for the top.
5. Mix the other half with the onions and spread on the partially baked crust.
6. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the onions to form a nice golden top.
7. Bake until the quiche has puffed and is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Tips on pre-baking the crust:
(1) A quick method is to prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 15 minutes. The crust might be a little bit bumpy.
(2) If you want to be sure your crust is even, line it with foil and pour around 2 cups of dried beans to weight it down. Bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, and prick the crust with a fork to let any air bubble escape. Bake another 3-5 minutes.