Although I get quite a few recipes sent to me, i try to choose the most original and the Times on Line has an amazing selection of great recipes.
These Pumkin and Pecan Tarts are a cross between an American pumpkin pie and those fabulous Portuguese custard tarts, pasteis de nata. They are super delicious and with haloween coming up, I am sure one can find a pumpkin or two to use!
Ingredients
500g all-butter puff pastry (recipe here)
100g butter
800g pumpkin or squash, cut into ½cm cubes
100g pecan halves, broken into bits, plus 12 extra halves
250g sugar
1 egg
100ml double cream
2 tsp plain flour
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground clove
About 1/4 of a nutmeg, grated
Zest of 1 orange
Icing sugar
Method
On a floured surface, roll out the pastry until it’s about 2mm thick. Cut 12 circles large enough to line the holes of a 12-hole nonstick muffin tin, leaving about 1cm standing out of the rim; my muffin tray has holes of about 7cm wide and 2cm deep, so the circles of dough are about 12cm across (you may not need all the pastry). Put in the fridge while you deal with the pumpkin.
Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. In a large frying pan, melt the butter, then add the pumpkin cubes and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the pumpkin is soft. Add the 100g of pecans and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the sugar and cook for a minute more, until the whole thing is brown and bubbling. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Beat together the egg, cream, flour, spices and orange zest until thoroughly mixed. Stir together with the pumpkin and pecan mixture, then carefully spoon into the chilled shells so they are about three-quarters full — you may not need all of the mixture. Put a pecan half on top of each and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. The tops will bubble and rise, but will sink back as they cool.
Allow to cool until just warm or room temperature, sprinkling the tops lightly with icing sugar before you eat — with whipped cream, ideally.
When I lived in Paris, my Sunday treat after getting my shopping and laundry done was to walk to WH Smith on the rue de Rivoli and buy The Sunday Times. LOVED the recipe section! Might have to check out the online version to add to my already heaping pile of recipes waiting to be made! What a perfect seasonal recipe this one is!
ReplyDeleteThese sound delicious. You've got me wanting to go out now and find some dessert :)
ReplyDeleteThese look so delicious! I love the little pecan on top letting you know what the flavors are going to be :)
ReplyDelete