AMAZING Pumpkin Tartlets (Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Fabulous!)

Yes, that's right. I said AMAZING.

As we know, I've been on a bit of a tartlet fix (as seen here and here)--and I'm planning at least two more before I force myself to find a new obsession--so I hope you're enjoying them.

In my estimation, the previous tartlets have been good. The chocolate crust on the pistachio tartlets was Oreo-esque in its crave-ability, and the smooth, custard-like filling in the lime tarts made me want to send my cans of sweetened condensed milk sailing straight into the trashcan.

So what warrants the title of AMAZING in today's tartlets?

1) Like both the pistachio and lime tartlets, these tartlets are gluten- and grain-free, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and jam-packed with filling protein and beneficial fats.

2) They contain only natural, minimally processed sweeteners.

3) Unlike the pistachio or lime tartlets, these tartlets are totally vegan-friendly.

4) Amazingly, in light of all of the above, they taste better than pumpkin pie!

That last one is my completely biased opinion, of course, but I hope when you try them, you'll agree.

Here are a few keys for success in this recipe:

1) Use roasted, salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) and raw, unsalted cashews and pecans (otherwise you will need to adjust the salt). Raw nuts retain more of their natural antioxidants, but roasted pepitas have a deeper flavor and make for a crunchier and more attractive garnish.

2) Pulse the crust mixture in the food processor until you achieve the proper consistency. This will assure you do not create nut butter in this step. You are looking for fine, evenly textured crumbs.

3) Process the cashews for the filling into a smooth nut butter with the coconut oil before adding the remaining filling ingredients. Be sure to pause occasionally to scrape down the sides and knock some of the cashew bits out of the lid to achieve the smoothest consistency.

4) Let the tarts set in the fridge for at least 3 hours before preparing the caramel topping. This will allow the surface of the filling to firm up, making it easier to spread the caramel.

5) Heat the caramel mixture slowly over med-low heat so that it does not scorch. As soon as bubbles start to burst across the surface, cook for two minutes and then remove from the heat.

6) Keep the tarts chilled in the fridge until ready to eat.

With the silky texture of pumpkin pie in an all-natural, health-conscious, no-bake, easy-to-make, individually portioned format, these amazing tartlets are definitely something to be thankful for this holiday season.

 Amazing Pumpkin Tartlets

for the crust:
1/4 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup raw, unsalted pecan halves
1/4 cup roasted, salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
3 T coconut palm sugar
1/2 tsp ground Saigon cinnamon (aka cassia; real cinnamon would be fine as well)
2 T coconut oil, at warm room temperature so that it is liquid

for the filling:
2/3 cup raw, unsalted cashews
2 T coconut oil, at warm room temperature so that it is liquid
2/3 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling; to make your own roasted pumpkin puree, see this post)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (look for one that contains cinnamon, black pepper, star anise, fennel, and cloves)
1/2 tsp finely ground salt
5 T pure maple syrup

for the garnish:
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
2 T water
1/3 cup roasted, salted pepitas

Place muffin liners in each of six large muffin cups. I use regular-sized muffin liners in large cups--the larger cups allow the liners to lay out a little wider. If you do not have a large-cup muffin pan, just use six cups in a standard-size muffin pan.

Place all the crust ingredients except for the coconut oil in the food processor and pulse until the pieces are almost uniform in size and the mixture resembles very coarse sand. 

Add the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and pulse until the mixture resembles moist sand. 

When it is the proper consistency, it will easily stick together when pressed between your fingers.

Divide the mixture evenly among the six prepared muffin cups, firmly pressing the mixture into the bottoms and up the sides to form mini tart shells. 

Chill the crusts in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Rinse out and pat dry the food processor bowl, blade, and lid. Add 2/3 cup cashews and 2 T coconut oil to the processor and process until you have a very smooth nut butter, making sure to pause once or twice to scrape down the sides and lid. 

Add the remaining filling ingredients and process until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. 

Spoon the filling evenly among the six crusts and let set in the fridge for at least three hours before garnishing.

To prepare the caramel, add 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar and 2 T water to a small saucepan. 

Stir to dissolve the sugar, and place over med-low heat, lifting the pan by its handle and swirling gently on occasion. 

As soon as bubbles begin to burst across the surface of the mixture, set a timer for two minutes. 

After the mixture has boiled for two minutes, remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes before spooning over the chilled tartlets. 

Sprinkle roasted, salted pepitas over the tops of the tartlets, and return them to the fridge to set completely, at least one hour, or until ready to eat. 

The tartlets will last up to 5 days, stored in airtight containers in the fridge, and should remain chilled until served.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.

Oh Snap! Roasted Pumpkin 5-Spice Ice Cream with a Gingersnap Swirl

The Setting: An unexpectedly gorgeous day.

The Soundtrack: Oia, flipping through the pages of one of my cheap paperbacks and babbling as though she were reading it aloud.

Sizzling on the Griddle: Pumpkin Pancakes with Honey Cardamom Butter and pure Michigan maple syrup.

The Scenario: Fall has fallen, and the pages of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream at Home have re-opened to welcome the season of root vegetables and warming spices.

If you missed our summer frolic with the queen of artisan ice cream, here's a re-cap. But for the present, let me say, "It's pumpkin time!"

I always look forward to the time of the year when pumpkin lattes dominate cafe menus and ginger becomes much more than the movie star on Gilligan's Island.

I'm one of those weirdos who can't stand pumpkin pie (it's some combination of the texture and flavor...like two great voices who should never do a duet), so I always have to find other ways to express my love of fall's favorite flavor: pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin muffins, and, thanks to Jeni, pumpkin ice cream.

Since this is Roasted Pumpkin 5-Spice Ice Cream, and I happened to have a bunch of 5-Spice Gingersnaps in the freezer, I couldn't resist throwing a few cookie crumbles in for added texture and flavor.

If you like a little textural variation in your ice cream, you can't go wrong with this addition.

To create the gingersnap "swirl," coarsely crush/crumble six or so medium-sized 5-Spice Gingersnaps to make about two cups of gingersnap crumbles. After freezing the ice cream in the machine, pack the ice cream into a container, alternating layers of ice cream and cookies so that you begin and end with layers of ice cream. You should aim for at least five layers in all--three layers of ice cream and two layers of cookie crumbles. If using a tall, skinny container, aim for at least seven layers in all.

If you prefer uninterrupted, velvety smoothness in every spoonful, by all means, leave the cookies out.

This recipe calls for an actual pumpkin, cut in half, roasted, scooped out of the skin, pureed, and measured out.

I typically reach right for the can o'puree when the need for pumpkin knocks, so going whole-gourd was a first for me. I admit I had to enlist Hoosband to cut it in half (I am very short, my counters are sized for a normal person, that equals poor leverage, and, oh yeah, I am weak), but the remaining work was a cinch.

An ice-cream scoop is the perfect tool for both scooping out and discarding seeds and membranes and scooping roasted pumpkin into your food processor.

After measuring out the pumpkin for the ice cream, I had about 2 cups leftover to store in the fridge for this morning's pancakes and future baked goods or sauces.



The following recipe is excerpted with permission from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer. My notes are in blue.

Jeni's Roasted Pumpkin 5-Spice Ice Cream
"A modern classic--rich pumpkin blended with exotic spices, which give the ice cream a light finish and a pleasant tingle." --Jeni Britton Bauer

1 small pie pumpkin or Kabocha, Buttercup, or butternut squash (2-3 lbs)
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup honey
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Chinese 5-spice powder

PREP Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and membranes. An ice-cream scoop works perfectly for this. Place Cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork. Be sure to use a rimmed baking sheet or jellyroll pan, as the pumpkin will release some liquid. Let cool slightly.

Scoop the flesh into a food processor and puree until completely smooth. The ice-cream scoop works perfectly for this part as well.

Measure out 3/4 cup for the ice cream; reserve the rest of the puree for another use.

Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.

Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. If you have trouble whisking the cream cheese, microwave it for about 10 seconds to soften it a bit more. Add the pumpkin puree and the honey and whisk until smooth.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

COOK Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn syrup, and 5-spice powder in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.

Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

CHILL Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually is the key word--if you add it all at once, it will be very difficult to get out all the lumps. Speaking of lumps, I like to strain my mixture into a clean bowl at this point, just to make sure the ice cream will be silky-smooth. Use a spatula to help work the mixture through the strainer.

Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. I generally make the mixture the day before I want to freeze the ice cream so it can chill thoroughly in the fridge overnight.

FREEZE Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy. For best results, always freeze the canister for AT LEAST 24 hours before using.

Pack the ice cream into a storage container (if adding gingersnaps, layer them in now as you pack the ice cream into the container), press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. The parchment is awesome at helping to prevent freezer burn. Every time you scoop out ice-cream, be sure to press the parchment back down over the remaining ice cream to help keep it tasty. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Makes 1 generous quart.

Excerpted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer (Artisan Books). Copyright 2011.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.

5-Spice Gingersnaps

The Setting: A day torn between beautiful bright blue skies and the currently prevailing cloud cover. Which one will win out?

The Soundtrack: The Barefoot Contessa. Oia loves Ina.

Steaming up the Oven: Nothing at the moment, but I'm about to drop some pork in the slow cooker!

The Scenario: On a bit of a 5-spice kick...

Lately I've been throwing 5-spice powder in everything from lentils to pastries. I can't get enough of the stuff.

So when I needed to develop a gingersnap recipe for a little project I'm working on, the inclusion of this versatile Chinese spice blend was pretty much a given.

Instead of using dried, powdered ginger to give the cookies their namesake flavor, I prefer a combination of moist, freshly grated ginger root and chewy candied (crystallized) ginger for greater complexity.

These spicy cookies are classically crispy (hence the "snap"), but decresing the cooking time by a couple of minutes will result in a chewier cookie.

Crispy, they make a perfect accompaniment to a steaming cup of chai (my breakfast for the past few mornings).

And chewy, they make incredible bookends to vanilla ice cream in a palate-cleansing ice-cream sandwich.

The choice is up to you.

Gingersnaps

I always hear the best way to peel ginger root is to scrape it with a metal spoon, but I have never had much success with this method. Instead, I simply slice off all the edges with a chef's knife, leaving a perfect, peel-less piece of ginger, ready to be grated. It may seem a little wasteful, but let's be honest, the time and energy you save is worth the little bit of ginger flesh lost.

1 1/4 sticks (10 T) cold, unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 T freshly grated ginger root
4 tsp (1 T + 1 tsp) finely chopped candied ginger
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
granulated sugar for rolling, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the butter with the brown sugar and both gingers until very well combined (2-3 minutes on medium speed).

Scrape down the bowl if needed, add the egg, and beat just until light and fluffy (about 1 minute on medium speed).

Whisk together the dry ingredients, add to the butter mixture (with the mixer turner off), and beat on low speed till fully incorporated.

Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop out 2-T-sized balls of dough and place 2-3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. If desired, roll each ball in granulated sugar before placing on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with your palm to keep it in place.

Bake one sheet at a time at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes for classically crunchy gingersnaps, or for 12-14 minutes for chewier cookies.

Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Dough you do not wish to use immediately may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week

Cookies will keep for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes about 28 cookies.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in Your life.