Chäschüechli
Difficult to pronounce, easy to eat, these little cheese tarts are an absolute Swiss classic.
Known as Ramequin in French-speaking Switzerland, you’ll find these cheesy delights in all corners of the country.
The real secret is in the cheese mix—it’s worth experimenting to find your favourite mix. You can even use a mix that’s meant to be made into fondue (though not the ones that contain wine, of course).
Another game-changer is the pastry. While store-bought is perfectly fine and works in a pinch, a buttery, homemade version makes for the stuff of cheese tart dreams.
Dough:
160 g flour
1 tsp salt
60 g butter, cold
100 ml water
Filling:
120 g cheese, grated
2 eggs
125 ml milk
125 ml cream
nutmeg, salt and pepper
For the dough:
Mix together flour and salt, then rub in cold butter with your hands or a pastry blender. Add the water, mixing gently until it all comes together. Gather the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Roll out your dough, cut large rounds, and line a standard 12 cup muffin tin.
Preheat oven to 200° C / 400° F / gas mark 6.
For the filling:
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Place your muffin tin on a baking sheet, then add the cheese to each cup. Pour the custard over top.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is browned and the filling has set.
Any hard cheese—Gruyère, Appenzeller, Vacherin etc, or a mix of a few kinds, will work.
More cheese?
Cheese Fondue
