Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut 3 inches from the tip-ends of the asparagus; reserving remaining stalks for another use. Generously add salt to boiling water. Add asparagus, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, heavy cream, eggs, yolk, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a sieve into a medium bowl; set aside.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Use a 2 3/4-inch round cutter to cut out 24 rounds. Fit rounds into a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin tin. If the pate brisee becomes too soft to work with, place in refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. Divide half of Gruyere evenly between the lined cups. Top with ham. Divide milk mixture evenly between cups. Top each with 3 to 4 pieces of asparagus. Sprinkle with remaining Gruyere.
4. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately remove quiches from muffin tin, and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.