Bon Appétit (November 2015)
We wound up making some very pretty desserts in our Fakesgiving test-run this year. In fact, with that triumphal Cherry Spice Cake Trifle, the lovely Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake, and that decadent Butter Pecan-Toffee Pie, it may have been the prettiest Fakesgiving dessert table we've ever had.
Still, we're nominating this Pumpkin-Caramel Tart with Toasted-Hazelnut Crust as the most gorgeous dessert we served. The hand-formed free-standing crust, that dark-amber filling of pumpkin and brown sugar, and the constellation of caramelized hazelnuts scattered across the top -- it's beautiful.
If only it tasted as outstanding as it looked....
Let's clarify: This tart is very good. If you make it, your guests will be happy. And as we were preparing the four desserts, we actually expected this one would be the crowd favorite.
But like a JC Penney catalog model or every show on USA Network, it was ultimately very pretty but just not all that memorable.
The filling itself is tasty. The caramel and brown sugar give the pumpkin a darker, almost burnt flavor that's really nice. And the hazelnut crust is great.
All in all, as we said, this dessert is good. Maybe even really good. It's just not a standout. At least not for us.
Pumpkin-Caramel Tart with Toasted-Hazelnut Crust
Bon Appétit (November 2015), recipe by Alison Roman
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(This photo: Christopher Testani/Bon Appétit)
INGREDIENTS
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups skin-on hazelnuts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Filling And Assembly
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- Whipped cream (for serving)
Special Equipment
- A 9-inch springform pan
DIRECTIONS
Crust
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8–10 minutes; let cool. Using a kitchen towel, rub hazelnuts together to remove most of the skins (don’t worry about some stubborn bits remaining).
Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup hazelnuts in a food processor until the consistency of coarse meal. Reserve remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts for filling. Add butter to dry ingredients and pulse until there are only a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle 3 Tbsp. ice water over and mix, adding another splash or so of water if needed, just to bring dough together.
Using your fingers, press dough evenly 1 1/2"–2" up the sides and then into the bottom of pan; compact and smooth with a flat, straight-sided measuring cup or glass. Chill 20 minutes.
Bake crust until golden but not totally baked through, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
Filling And Assembly
Meanwhile, bring cream of tartar, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, swirling pan occasionally (do not stir), until caramel is a deep amber color, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisking constantly, carefully add cream (mixture will be extremely hot and will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Let caramel cool slightly in pot.
Whisk pumpkin purée, brown sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add caramel and eggs, whisking until well blended. Scrape filling into prepared crust.
Bake tart, rotating halfway through, until filling is set around edges and center barely jiggles, 30–35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan.
Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved 1/2 cup hazelnuts and cook in a small skillet over medium heat with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. water, stirring constantly, until sugar caramelizes and evenly coats hazelnuts. Transfer caramelized hazelnuts to a sheet of parchment paper and let cool completely. Coarsely chop.
Scatter caramelized hazelnuts over tart and serve with whipped cream.
Do Ahead: Tart (without nuts) can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Hazelnuts can be caramelized 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
