Pumpkin custard tart
This simple pumpkin custard tart is served in a buttery, crumbly sablé tart case rather than the flaky pie crust typically used for an American pumpkin pie. The pumpkin purée is made from scratch, and makes more than you need for just this recipe. Any remainder can be used in other pumpkin desserts, like pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Sablé
- 40g of ground almonds
- 300g of butter
- 170g of icing sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 120g of whole egg, plus 1 egg white
- 2g of sea salt
- 500g of plain flour
Pumpkin purée
- 1/4 pumpkin, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated
- 3/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of thyme leaves
- 1 pinch of salt
- 7.5g of cane sugar
- vegetable oil, for cooking
Pumpkin custard
- crème fraîche, to serve
Equipment
- Blow torch
- 18cm tart case
Method
Preheat the oven to 140°C and line the tart case with baking parchment
First make the sablé. Toast the almonds in the oven for 6 minutes
- 40g of ground almonds
Meanwhile, cream the butter until soft and light then carefully add the icing sugar and mix again
- 300g of butter
- 170g of icing sugar
Add the vanilla by splitting open the pod and scraping out the seeds, and then add in the egg bit by bit
- 1 vanilla pod
- 120g of whole egg, plus 1 egg white
Add the salt, ground almonds and the flour, taking care to only mix until just combined
- 2g of sea salt
- 500g of plain flour
Once the mix has come together, remove from the machine and finish by hand
Rest in the fridge for 4 hours
Roll out the pastry and press into a lined tart case
Let the pastry rest in the fridge overnight
The next day, preheat the oven to 160°C and line the pastry with greaseproof and then fill with baking beans/pulses/rice etc.
Blind bake for around 15–20 minutes until the pastry is set, then remove the blind baking beans and greaseproof. Brush with egg white and return to the oven and bake until golden, about 5–8 more minutes
Remove the baked sablé from the oven and turn the temperature up to 180°C
Mix all the spices, thyme leaves, salt and sugar together
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated
- 3/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of thyme leaves
- 1 pinch of salt
- 7.5g of cane sugar
Drizzle the pumpkin with oil and then rub spices into the pumpkin
- 1/4 pumpkin, peeled and cut into large chunks
- vegetable oil, for cooking
Put the pumpkin on a gastro and roast for 40 minutes
Blend in Thermomix or high-powered blender and then chill.
For the pumpkin custard, mix together the egg yolks, muscovado sugar and 40g of the blended spiced pumpkin
- 60g of egg yolk
- 10g of muscovado sugar
Bring the cream to a simmer, then whisk into the egg mix
- 220g of double cream
Add the water and sugar to a pan, and warm over a low heat, swirling to dissolve the sugar in the water, but not stirring. When the sugar has mostly dissolved, swirl to incorporate the remaining caster sugar, and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the colour changes to a light caramel, swirling occasionally
- 40g of water
- 100g of caster sugar, plus extra for finishing
Preheat the oven to 130°C
Carefully pour the caramel into the warm custard mix then blend with a stick blender, and add the salt
- 2g of salt
Cook for 30–40 minutes, or until the custard mix is set but still looks slightly wet in the middle; it should have a wobble to it
Pour the mixture into the tart case
Remove from the oven and let cool
Dust the top of the custard tart with golden caster sugar and blowtorch. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche
- crème fraîche, to serve
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