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. Try a glass of La Chica con Tinta arinto with your chäschüechli – a Portuguese varietal grown in Heathcote (Victoria), which has a nice citrus tang and ripe fruit flavours to match the richness of the Swiss cheese.
Makes 12 tartlets
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