She did not care for pumpkin pie, my niece that is. A self proclaimed pumpkin pie non-lover. Until I handed her a slice of this little diddy. The best Pumpkin Tart you will ever have. Consider it a sophisticated step up from your average pumpkin pie.
I must warn you, there is tempering of eggs in the recipe which may intimidate some. Let me hold your hand and we can do this. I promise.
First let’s get out all of the ingredients.
The crust is a simple melted butter and graham cracker crust. This time, 8 small tart dishes carried the dessert. On other occasions I use an 11” single tart pan. The choice is yours.
After they bake the kitchen begins to smell like the holidays.
The next task of mixing the filling is a touch more difficult. It involves tempering your egg yolks. Think of it as conditioning your yolks so they can be added to a very hot mixture without scrambling. It is done by adding a spoonful of the hot pumpkin mixture to the raw egg yolks and whisk away. Then add the newly warmed up eggs mixture back into the hot pumpkin sauce and whisk CONTINUALLY. The success of this recipe is depends on your whisking prowess. Don’t stop even if your arm is shaking!
After the combined egg/pumpkin mixture cools, fresh whip cream is added to the party. It is folded in every so gently. We want a light and fluffly pumpkin filling.
Add your fluffy filling to your graham cracker crusts (also cooled from their stay in the oven) and put those babies back in the refrigerator for a solid 2 hour nap. The longer the better, overnight would be best if you have that kind of time on hand.
After their nap, before you serve, add a touch of decorative whip cream and orange zest. Grab a few forks and serve. Don’t forget the coffee.
From our home to yours, our Pumpkin Tart Favorite.
- For the crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- For the filling:
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cups Dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 extra-large egg yolks
- 1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
- 1 ripe banana, finely mashed
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- ½ cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- For the decoration:
- 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Orange Zest
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.
- For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don't want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.
- Dissolve the gelatin in ¼ cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.
- Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
- For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.
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