Pumpkin Caramel Tart with Candied Walnuts
My Pumpkin Caramel Tart with Candied Walnuts is a sophisticated pumpkin pie for the foodie set. Homemade caramel gives this pumpkin tart a depth of flavor that is absolutely amazing (you might just start a new Thanksgiving tradition with this one.)
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
For the crust
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 stick, or 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 3 Tbsp cold water
For the pumpkin filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp water
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
For the candied walnuts
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup whole raw walnuts
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.
- Add the walnuts, flour, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are finely ground.
- Add the butter to the food processor and continue to pulse until there are no more large chunks of butter left (small pieces are fine).
- Add the water and pulse a few more times until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough to your prepared tart pan (I like to break the dough into pieces and scatter them across the bottom of the pan; it makes it easier to press it in evenly) and press it across the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. (See note below.)
- Chill the crust in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes. It will still be fairly pale and not fully cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the filling.
For the pumpkin filling
- First, make the caramel. Add the sugar, water, and cream of tartar to a medium saucepan, and stir together so that the cream of tartar is evenly incorporated into the mixture. Over medium heat, melt the sugar mixture until it bubbles. You can continue to stir the mixture a bit while the sugar is melting to make sure it dissolves evenly, but you may not need to. Continue to cook, keeping a careful eye on the sugar until it starts to turn golden. At this point, do not stir anymore. Swirl the pan a couple times as it continues to cook, and remove from the heat when the caramel turns a rich deep brown. This whole process should take about 8-10 minutes.
- Allow the caramel to cool briefly (just for a minute or so), then slowly add the heavy cream, whisking as you pour. Be careful here, as the caramel will still be quite hot and will start to bubble as you add the cream. Continue to whisk until the caramel is smooth, and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, flour, eggs, and spices. Add the caramel and whisk until everything is smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin filling into your pre-baked tart shell. Your filling should reach very close to the top of the sides of your tart shell. It helps to place your tart pan on a baking sheet before filling for easier transfer to the oven and to catch any drips. If your filling goes just a little over the edge in a couple places, that's fine.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until the tart is just set and no longer wobbly in the middle.
For the candied walnuts
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and melt. When the sugar begins to turn golden, add the walnuts. Stir everything and continue to cook until the sugar has caramelized. Watch carefully as the walnuts can start to burn quickly. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and allow to cool.
- Once the candied walnuts are cooled and hardened, roughly chop them and add them to the top of the pumpkin tart.
Notes
For the tart crust, you'll want to make sure you get the sides high enough -- the original recipe recommends pressing the dough 1.5-2 inches up the sides of the springform pan. I found it a little tricky to press the dough that high up the sides of the pan, so mine was probably on the low end of that range, and my filling went over the edge just a tiny bit in a few places, which didn't bother me.
If you notice you're getting close to the edge of your crust as you're pouring in your filling, you can stop once you get close to the top. If you end up leaving out more than just a little bit of the filling, however, just be sure to keep an eye on it as it cooks and adjust your cooking time if necessary.
Recipe lightly adapted from Bon Appetit.