Pumpkin Tart

This Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for transition. More specifically, I'm giving thanks for the growth that's allowed me to not fear it. It wasn't always this way. If I had been handed all of the experiences that have come about in the past six months, and the big ones that are just around the corner (more on that in coming weeks) a year ago, I'm pretty sure I would have dug myself a hole somewhere and never come out. But these days, I'm embracing the big changes, the challenges that stare me in the face with huge, fiery, unfamiliar eyes, with the faint sounds of the "Rocky" theme playing somewhere in the distance. I'm now looking at them as opportunities to learn more, be better, fail better.

This is not to say that I've become a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person who can forgo routine altogether. My beautiful sister got that gene. I still love my daily rituals and the preferences that make my life most comfortable in schedule, clothing, meals, that sort of thing. Though I have to say, my palate has absolutely been changing to include food and drink that I wouldn't have touched before. Let's not get crazy here--my infamous hatred of eggs that goes back to babyhood still stands, in any finished dish where eggs are identifiable, in mostly breakfast-related items (obviously, eggs in baked goods don't creep me out). But I have ended up loving foods that I once would not even consider--like pumpkin pie.

All together, now--"How can you not like PUMPKIN PIE"?! I know, I know. But I love it now, see? I love it so much that I made a whole big one to bring to Thanksgiving dinner, with pastry from scratch and everything. It really was a smash, a marriage of several different recipes. The all-butter crust was crisp and flaky, sturdy even in the center of the pie. Baking it in a tart pan added a bit of visual interest, with the shiny, flat, deep orange custard sailing right up to the golden, uniformly crimped crust. The pumpkin filling was smooth and creamy and tasted of fall spice, not the least bit vegetal in flavor. When wedges of the pie were passed along with coffee, there was indeed a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy. Thankfully, some things never change.

Pumpkin Tart

Serves 8

For the crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups solid-pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the crust, mix the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into eighths and drop the butter pieces into the flour. With your fingertips (or in a food processor), begin blending the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pieces the size of small peas. Sprinkle three tablespoons of ice water over the mixture, and use a fork to gently stir in the water until just incorporated. Test the dough by squeezing a small handful of it. If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 4 portions. To ensure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the dough, smear each portion in a forward motion, then roll it back on itself twice with the heel of your hand. Gather all of the kneaded potions into a ball and flatten the ball into a five-inch disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a diameter of about 14 inches across. Fit the dough into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the edges to create a 1/2 inch overhang. Fold the excess dough inward to create an edge that comes up just slightly from the tart pan. Prick the crust lightly with a fork, cover the crust with foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust has pale golden edges. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

For the pumpkin filling, whisk together the pumpkin, cream, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs, spices and salt until well-blended. Pour the mixture into the blind-baked tart shell and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden and the first few inches from the edges are set, and the center jiggles ever-so-slightly. The tart will set further as it cools. Cool completely on a wire rack and remove from the tart pan for serving. Serve with generous dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream.