A Decadently Luscious Pumpkin Tart

I can remember falling in love with pumpkin pie as a child when my grandmother would make the classic recipe and warm it up just enough so the dollop of whipped cream would skate on top of my piece of pie. It always baffled me why pumpkin pie was rarely seen outside of the Thanksgiving holiday as I place it at the top of my pie preferences. But in many ways, waiting a year to take a bite of the soft, luscious filling with a firm, crispy crust makes my appreciation soar even more when I have the opportunity to partake.

With that said, because I love pumpkin pie so much, I’ve had many slices. So this year I wanted to mix it up, add more flavor and a simply luxurious touch.

As TSLL Thanksgiving menu continues here on the blog (click here to see the first part of the menu), the dessert can be made a day or two or three in advance. And since I know many of TSLL readers are traveling or are hosting and have many other dishes to plan, I wanted to share the dessert portion of the recipe today.

Let’s talk about the simply luxurious component: the crust is only two ingredients and it adds a complementary ginger crunch to each bite as you savor the flavorful filling. Now, the filling is luscious indeed. Inspired by Williams-Sonoma’s recipe, I added three tablespoons of Maker’s Mark whisky (bourbon) and the rich depth of flavor is noticeable but not the alcoholic component.

But don’t forget the whipped cream. If you’re going to add whipped cream, you must add some flavor to it. Now you can just add cinnamon and no vanilla or rum, or any other combination of the flavor you prefer, but I added all three, and my palette was pleased that I did.

By choosing to make a tart rather than a pie, you speed up cooking time, and you actually have enough filling for two more mini tarts to perhaps keep at home so you know for sure you have some after you take your tart to the friends or family Thanksgiving.

Most importantly, you will savor each bite, not rushing, and not over eating because you will be satiated with one piece. I do hope you enjoy.

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Ginger Snap crust and Cinnamon & Rum Whipped Cream

yields: one 9″ tart (6-8 slices) and two mini tarts

time: 35-45 cooking time

prep time: 30 minutes

The Crust:

Ingredients:

40 gingersnap cookies
¼ cup of unsalted butter, melted



Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Add the gingersnap cookies to a food processor and grind them until they are fine crumbs.
Add the melted butter to the processor and process until moistened.
Press the gingersnap crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch tart pan (with a removable bottom).
Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 – 10 minutes.
Remove the tart crust from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees for the pie.

While the crust is cooling, make the pie filling.

Bourbon Pumpkin Filling:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (20 oz./625 g) pumpkin puree (from about 1 1/2 cans, each 15 oz./470 g)
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz./105 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) heavy cream
3 Tbs. bourbon (choose a top quality bourbon/whisky)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, seeds reserved

Directions:

Oven should be preheated to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until smooth.
Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk until combined.
Add the cream, bourbon, lemon juice and vanilla bean seeds and whisk until smooth.
Pour the filling into the cooled tart crust.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The tart is done when the middle moves slightly, but the outer part of the filling are quite stable.
Place on a cooling rack while you make the whipped cream.

Cinnamon & Rum Whipped Cream:

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

With an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk, whisk the whipping cream (alone) until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar, dark rum, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk until stiff peaks form.

~View more TSLL Dessert Recipes here.