Autumn’s bounty of crisp apples, juicy pears and plentiful pumpkins turns our thoughts to traditional holiday recipes. And there is perhaps no more traditional holiday dessert than pumpkin pie.
But if you’re looking to change your holiday repertoire, why not try a pumpkin chiffon tart, instead. Prepared with a pecan tart shell and layered with a citrus-fig puree, this dessert offers an unexpected take on tradition.
Alison McLoughlin, a baking and pastry instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, adapted this recipe from her mother’s pie recipe. She uses a pecan tart crust instead of a traditional crust and adds a fig filling and delicate Florentine cookies.
The creamy pumpkin chiffon mousse is balanced between a nutty pecan crust and the crisp but delicate lace pecan cookies, serving up a pleasing texture contrast for this holiday dessert.
“This tart is ideal for easy holiday entertaining because many of the steps can be prepared in advance,” McLoughlin said. “For example, the tart dough can be made several weeks in advance and frozen until needed. Dried figs and canned pumpkin are readily available, and the fig filling may be prepared ahead and refrigerated up to a week.”
The pumpkin chiffon mousse makes this tart lighter than traditional pumpkin pie. The pumpkin is combined with gelatin to make the first part of the mousse. Then a Swiss meringue is prepared by combining egg whites and sugar over a double boiler. The egg white mixture is then whipped until a medium-stiff peak is achieved. The meringue is then gently folded into the pumpkin to create a light filling.
Pumpkin chiffon mousse tart with citrus fig compote and pecan Florentines
11/4cups cake flour
1/4cup pecans
1/4cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4teaspoon salt
6tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1egg
1/2teaspoon vanilla extract
In a food processor, pulse together flour, pecans, brown sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and vanilla and process until just combined.
Shape the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). Set the dough in a removable bottom tart pan and pierce the bottom of the tart with a fork at 1 inch intervals. Freeze for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover dough with parchment paper cut slightly larger than the pan, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Lift parchment and weights out and continue to bake until golden brown, about another 10 minutes. Allow to cool then fill with compote.
Makes 8 servings (one 10-inch tart)
1/2cup dried figs, chopped
1/4teaspoon orange zest
1/3cup orange juice
1/4cup pomegranate juice
1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Simmer over a low heat until the figs are soft and the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Puree the compote with a blender or food processor. Allow to cool. Spread filling in prebaked tart shell and set aside.
Makes enough compote to fill one 10-inch tart shell.
1 1/2teaspoons gelatin (one package)
2tablespoons orange juice
2egg yolks
1/4cup half-and-half
3/4cup canned pumpkin
1/8teaspoon cinnamon
1/8teaspoon allspice
1/8teaspoon nutmeg
1/8teaspoon salt
2egg whites
1/3cup light brown sugar, packed
In a small cup or bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and allow to rehydrate for 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine egg yolks, half-and-half, pumpkin, spices and salt. Cook, about 8 minutes. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in gelatin to dissolve. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl to cool.
When pumpkin mixture is cool, about 10 minutes, combine the egg whites and brown sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a double boiler and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and beat using a mixer with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until whites resemble a light and fluffy meringue.
In three batches, gently fold the meringue into the cooled pumpkin mixture. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the fig filling. Refrigerate until set, about 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, garnish with Florentine cookies (recipe follows).
Makes enough compote to fill one 10-inch tart shell.
1/4cup heavy cream
1/3cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2cup pecans, chopped fine
21/2tablespoons cake flour
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar and butter. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, then add nuts and flour, stirring to combine. Using a teaspoon measure, drop batter by the spoonful on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes, keeping a careful eye on the cooking during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet until set but still warm, about 3 minutes. Gently lift cookies with a spatula and drape them over a 2 inch dowel or paper towel tube. Set aside to cool. Cookies can also be left flat.
Makes 12 cookies.
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