Pumpkin Caramel Tart with Toasted Hazelnut Crust

Tags: dessert - thanksgiving - holiday - vegetarian
Active Time: 1.5 hours
Passive Time: 1.5 hours
Serves: 8

A modern take on the classic pumpkin pie

Bon Appetit

Crust:

• Hazelnuts: 1.25 cups, skin-on (raw and unsalted)
  
  
• Flour: 1 cup (all purpose)
• Sugar: 2 tbsp
• Kosher salt: 3/4 tsp
  
  
• Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick), chilled, cut into pieces

Filling:

• Cream of tartar: pinch
• Sugar: 1.25 cups, divided
  
  
• Heavy cream: 1 cup
  
  
• Pumpkin puree: 1 cup
• Light brown sugar: 2 tbsp
• Flour: 1 tbsp (all purpose)
• Ginger: 1/2 tbsp finely grated
• Cinnamon: 3/4 tsp ground
• Kosher salt: 3/4 tsp
  
  
• Eggs: 3 large

• Serve with whipped cream
• Tart without nuts on top can be made 2 days ahead - cover and chill; hazelnuts can be caramelized 2 days ahead - store airtight at room temperature and sprinkle over tart just before serving

1. To make the crust, preheat oven to 350F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cool, then using a kitchen towel, rub hazelnuts together to remove most of the skins (don't worry about stubborn skin parts remaining). Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and 3/4 hazelnuts in a food processor until it reaches 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-sized pieces of butter left
2. Transfer crust mixture to large bowl. Drizzle 3 tbsp ice water over and mix, adding another splash or so of water just to bring dough together. Using your fingers, press dough evenly 1.5-2 inches up the sides of a greased springform pan. Compact and smooth with a flat, straight-sided measuring cup or glass. Chill 20 minutes
3. Bake crust until golden but not totally baked through, 15 - 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes
4. To make the filling, bring cream of tartar, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until caramel is a deep amber color, 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and, whisking constantly, add cream. Whisk until smooth. Let caramel cool slightly in pot
5. Whisk pumpkin puree, 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
6. Bake tart, rotating halfway through, until filling is set around the edges and center barely jiggles. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan
7. Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved 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 hazelnuts to a sheet of parchment and let cool completely. Coarsely chop. Scatter hazelnuts over tart and serve with whipped cream