Chäschüechli (Swiss Cheese Tartlets)

Name: Chäschüechli (Swiss Cheese Tartlets)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Makes 12 tartlets
Cuisine: Swiss
Ingredients: 320g shortcrust pastry (11½oz); 2 eggs; ¾ cup milk (180ml); ¼ cup cream (60ml); Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste; Salt flakes, to taste; Freshly ground white pepper, to taste; 75g finely grated Gruyère (2⅔oz); Plain flour, for dusting

Chäschüechli literally means ‘little cheese cakes’ in Swiss German, which conjures up images of dessert. These Swiss cheese tartlets are savoury however, more like quiche, and one of my favourite Swiss snacks. They’re called ramequin in French-speaking Switzerland, a reference to the small dishes in which they were traditionally baked, though today muffin tins are far more convenient. You can make chäschüechli with any hard Swiss cheese, including Appenzeller, Vacherin Fribougeois, Raclette and Tilsit. I make mine with my favourite Swiss cheese, Gruyère. I was taught to make these Swiss cheese tartlets by Canadian-Swiss cookbook author Andie Pilot, who recommends experimenting with a mixture of a few cheeses to find your favourite combo. You can also make this recipe into one large tart, then it’s called a Chäschueche. Make your own pastry if you feel inclined (it is super easy), or use a good commercial shortcrust like Carême. Use the pastry off-cuts to make tasty little shortcrust cookies to serve with drinks so that nothing goes to waste. See video below for another favourite Swiss tart.

Makes 12 tartlets

Ingredients

2 eggs
¾ cup milk (180ml)
¼ cup cream (60ml)
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
75g finely grated Gruyère (2⅔oz)
Plain flour, for dusting
320g shortcrust pastry (11½oz)

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (400° F).
Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper together and transfer to a jug.
On a very lightly flour-dusted work surface, roll the dough out thinly, into a disc about 32cm wide (12½″).
Use a 9cm (3½″) cookie cutter to cut 12 discs; you should be able to get about 8 from the first rolling then reroll the offcuts to get another 4.
Press dough gently into a greased muffin tin and place on a baking tray; if time permits, refrigerate for 15 minutes or so.
Divide cheese evenly between the pastry cases.
Pour the egg mixture over the top.
Place in the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the chäschüechli are well coloured.
Serve warm or at room temperature.