What is it about little things that makes them so darling? I guess it's probably wired into us to think small versions of things are cute so that we'll pay enough attention to our offspring to ensure their survival. Of course I don't really believe that two big quiches got together and produced these baby quiches, but I still think these little quiches are really cute! That's why I made mini quiches in the first place, instead of one big quiche. Food should always be adorable if at all possible, don't you agree?
    I have never been crazy about quiches with spinach in them; I find they have a tendency to be watery, which is very bad in a quiche. The ham thing, I feel, has been done and done again, so I didn't put ham in these. Instead I went for a southwestern flavor with a poblano pepper and a generous fistful of chopped cilantro. The quiches came out with a hint of heat, but not so much that it drowned out the egg and cheese. I couldn't have been happier with the crust-it's quickly becoming my go-to pastry recipe, since it's easy and produces good results every time.

Ingredients:
*makes 8 muffin-sized quiches

Crust:
1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces about 1/4 inch wide
1 cup flour
enough cold water to hold it together, about 4 tbsp

Filling:
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 green poblano pepper, diced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

    For the crust, put the flour in a medium bowl and cut the butter into it until the butter is in pea-sized granules. Add water little by little and stir it in until the dough will form a cohesive ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. When you are ready to make the quiches, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and take the dough out of the fridge. Roll the dough out on a floured board to 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 rough circles, and put the circles into a muffin-cup lined muffin tin. Pinch the sides until the crust goes all the way up the sides of the muffin cup and about 1/4 inch over the top. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, cheeses, pepper, and cilantro together. Pour this mixture evenly into each crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until the top of each quiche is golden.