Tag Archives: dessert

Pecan Pumpkin Tart

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Each Thanksgiving, my oldest sister is adamant we include a classic pumpkin pie in our dessert array (By the way, there are only four of us, yet we still have an “array”). Pumpkin pie can be a divisive dessert…some hate it, some think it screams Thanksgiving, and some are nonplussed. My middle sister falls in the nonplussed category. One’s passion for pumpkin pie is the third most avoided topic at the Thanksgiving table, just after politics and religion.

I’m one of those pumpkin pie lovers, yet when faced with Thanksgiving pie choices, my ranking would be pecan pie first, followed very closely by pumpkin, with a double-crust apple pie coming in third. (Who am I kidding? I like me some pie! Both pumpkin and pecan would make it on the plate, with apple being eaten in secret so I don’t seem a glutton). However, it needs to be the “right” pumpkin pie. I think some pumpkin pies are too firm and sturdy, more like a quiche or Jell-O. If you poke your finger on the surface, it shouldn’t resist or bounce back. It should easily plunge toward the middle with just a bit of surface resistance. On the flip side, it needs to be stable enough to hold up to a knife, not too fluffy or watery. I like my pumpkin pie on the custardy side – somewhere between flan and crème brulee.

This recipe is neither pie nor my sister’s classic pumpkin. And, rather than pie crust, I’ve made a cookie base and turned it into a tart. But I’ve combined what’s best in a pumpkin pie with my #1 favorite, pecan, making choosing between the two a moot point – the two-birds-one-dessert approach.

Pecan Pumpkin Tart

  • Servings: One 9-inch tart
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You never have to choose between pecan and pumpkin again.


Ingredients

    CRUST
  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    • PUMPKIN LAYER
  • 1 ¼ cups pumpkin purée, canned or homemade
  • 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
    • PECAN LAYER
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, stirring until a dough forms. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan
  2. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crust just begins to turn golden. Cool for 15 minutes.
  3. While the crust is baking, prepare the pumpkin layer by whisking all the ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Set filling aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, prepare the pecan layer by whisking the sugar, corn syrup, eggs, butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Set filling aside.
  5. Once the crust has cooled for 15 minutes, spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the crust. Lightly chill the pumpkin layer for 10 minutes in the fridge to help it set.
  6. Evenly drizzle the pecan layer slowly over the pumpkin layer to keep the layers distinct.
  7. Return the pan to the oven. Place a sheet pan on the rack below the tart to catch any leaking butter. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pecan topping is browned and the filling no longer jiggles when gently shaken. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
  8. Once cooled, carefully remove tart ring from pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY-ROSE FROZEN YOGURT

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A scoop of homemade Strawberry Rose Frozen Yogurt

Today’s Musings:
There’s a creature that sits upon my desk, just behind and to the left of my laptop. Completely at ease, he tucks his willowy left leg around to the right, and crosses his right leg over the other, as if preparing for a yogic Ardha Matsyendrasana (seated twist). One elbow sits atop his right knee, a pedestal for resting his head into his long, curved fingers, beaked nose and pointed chin framing his Cheshire grin. As he stares unblinkingly with his emerald eyes, and he always seems to be staring, I’m reminded of a harlequin…or the devil character in Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita.  He sits poised, grinning and watching, ready to make a comment lest I try to write. As my hands hesitate above the keyboard, he whispers, “You’re a fraud,” “You’re not a writer,” “Go back to baking where you belong.” 

For the last two weeks, I tried ignoring him, wishing that he’d leave, attempting to escape him in every possible way: writing in a new location, choosing a different time, trying a different form, yet he continued to appear. 

Late last week, I finally looked up into his viridian eyes. He removed his hawkish chin from his hands and straighten up.

“Yes, Little One?”

“Who ARE you and why are you here, day after day?”

“I have many names: Imposter Syndrome, Writer’s Block, That Niggling Voice in your Head. I really hate that last one. I’m contracted to sprinkle doubt on your every word. I’ll be here until the bitter end, no matter what you do,” he cooed.

“Can’t you HELP me, instead of just pointing out what I’m doing wrong?”

“I cannot. There’s a no-help clause in my contract.”

“Well, what if you continue doing your job: make me doubt a line, a paragraph, the entire idea of writing this book, but then you took a break? Say, maybe 20 minutes of quiet time to treat yourself for a job well done, like a frozen yogurt or something? Then I can take that reprieve to figure out a solution rather than becoming mired in my defeat.”

“Ooo…I DO like a good homemade FroYo,” he purred while his reptile tongue flicked around his lips.

“So, it’s a deal, then? FroYo for a kibitzing reprieve?”

“It, My Dear, is a definite deal!”

Today’s Recipe: 
I originally envisioned making Strawberry-Basil or Strawberry-Balsamic Frozen Yogurt, but when I spied the bottle of rosewater, I couldn’t resist. A rosy disposition (now that I’ve made friends with my inner critic) deserves a rosy treat.

Fresh Strawberry-Rose Frozen Yogurt

Reducing the strawberry juice provides a big impact to flavor, even if you are using bland store-bought strawberries.


Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 4 teaspoons (1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) rosewater
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Using a food processor, coarsely chop strawberries. In a medium bowl, stir together chopped strawberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, and salt. Set aside for 45 minutes. Don’t wash the bowl of the food processor, you will be using it again in step 4.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together whole-milk Greek yogurt, remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, rosewater, and lemon juice. Set aside.
  3. After 45 minutes, strain juice from strawberries into a small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, reduce strawberry juice to 4-5 tablespoons of syrup. Let cool.
  4. Return strawberries to the bowl of the food processor. Process until pureed and add to yogurt. Add slightly cooled strawberry syrup and combine well.
  5. Cover bowl and let rest in refrigerator for at least an hour, but overnight is preferred. Process frozen yogurt in your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a container and keep frozen.