Petite Bacon and Gruyere Tartlets

In a food processor, pulse the all-purpose flour, salt, and cold cubed unsalted butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the ice-cold water and pulse briefly until the dough just begins to clump together. Do not overmix.

Turn the dough out, form it into a smooth disc, wrap tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to an even 3mm thickness. Cut 24 circles using a 6cm pastry cutter and gently press them into a 24-hole mini muffin tin. Chill the lined tin in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Prick the base of each pastry case with a fork and blind bake for 10 minutes until pale golden and dry to the touch. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 180°C (350°F).

While the pastry is baking, saute the finely diced bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until entirely crisp and the fat has rendered. Drain well on paper towels. Ensure all surfaces and hands are washed thoroughly with hot soapy water after handling the raw bacon to prevent cross-contamination.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, freshly ground black pepper, and ground nutmeg until completely smooth and emulsified.

Divide the crisp bacon pieces and finely grated Gruyere cheese evenly among the slightly cooled, blind-baked pastry cases.

Carefully pour the egg and cream custard into each pastry case, filling them almost to the top rim. Transferring the liquid to a small pouring jug first helps prevent spills.

Bake the tartlets at 180°C (350°F) for 12 to 15 minutes. The custard should be softly set and slightly puffed. Ensure the center reaches at least 74°C (165°F) for food safety.

Remove from the oven and garnish immediately with finely chopped chives. Let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms.