It can be hard to break traditions for traditional holidays like Thanksgiving. This twist on the traditional pumpkin pie will surely satisfy your family’s request with just a slight artistic, textural and flavor upgrade.
Pumpkin Cream Tart
with leaf & acorn decorations
Crust : 1 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, cold, cut into small pieces 2 tablespoons of cold water Filling : 4 ounces of Cream Cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt 1 – 14 ounce can of pumpkin puree 1 – 12 ounce can of evaporated milk Topping : 1 cup of whipping cream 1 tablespoon of confectioners sugar For the crust, begin by adding flour, salt and sugar into a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture looks crumbly. Drizzle water in while pulsing. Pulse just until the mixture begins to form a ball. If the dough is too dry, add a tiny bit of water, if it is too wet, add a bit of flour. Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Use the wrap to form the dough into a disk, then wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or up to 1 day). Remove dough from plastic wrap and place it on a lightly floured counter. Pinch off a small amount of dough to use for the leaf and acorn decorations. For the crust, roll the dough out until it is large enough to fit your tart pan. Use the rolling pin to help you transfer the dough to the pan. Place it in the pan, then press it lightly into the pan. Trim off the excess dough around the edge by pressing it against the sharp edge with your fingers. For the leaf and acorn decorations, roll out the small amount of dough your reserved. Use cookie cutters to cut out the shapes of the leaves and acorns. Set aside. To make the filling, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt in a mixer until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, mix until combined. Add evaporated milk and mix together until completely smooth. Pour mixture into the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Add leaf and acorn dough shapes to the top of the tart. Bake for another 20 minutes until the tart filling is set. Watch the tart carefully. If it begins to get too brown, cover it with foil. Let it cool for 30 minutes. Make the whipped cream just before serving. Whip whipping cream and sugar in an electric mixer until peaks form.
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