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.

Dulce de Coco Cake

The Setting: A beautiful day in the Bend. If only it were warm enough to venture outdoors....

The Soundtrack: Say Yes to the Dress. Why can't I stop watching?

Steaming up the Oven: Sausage and veggie pizza.

The Scenario: Despite appearances, this is not a cookie. But with crunchy, toasted coconut on the outside and gooey, coconut-milk caramel on the inside, this is one cake that's sure to cater to your coconut cravings.

Hoosband has always been a huge fan of coconut.

I, however, have historically steered clear of the stuff.

My opinions on the matter could have best been summed up by Tallahasse's  reaction to finding a truck full of Sno Balls on the side of the road in the modern cult classic Zombieland: "I hate coconut. Not the taste, the consistency."

My fondness of coconut rum and Thai curries was proof positive that the taste of coconut wasn't keeping me away. The texture, on the other hand, I always felt was somewhat suggestive of freshly clipped toenails--an offense I simply couldn't see past.

Recently and inexplicably, though, I seem to be coming around.

Visiting Nashville a few weekends ago, I couldn't get enough of my mother-in-law's incredible, homemade German-chocolate cake with oozing layers of coconut-filled icing.

And once back in the Bend, the first thing I wanted to do was hit the baking aisle and dig out my bundt pan so I could put my own spin on coconut cake.

It's pretty clear where the inspiration for this cake comes from.

It's Girl Scout cookie time. And as such, the Internet has been inundated with copycat recipes and heated debate over the "true name" of what some call Samoas and others call Caramel deLites (turns out they're both legit, just produced by two different bakeries).

Hoosband had been mourning our decision not to place an order with our local Girl Scout this year, so I wanted to surprise him with something suggestive of his favorite cookie. While I love a good copycat challenge (Oreos, E.L. Fudge, Oatmeal Creme Pies, Cranberry Bliss Bars, etc.), this time I thought I'd take my homage in a different direction.

I envisioned a butter cake coated in chocolate, caramel, and coconut with a tunnel of caramel running throughout.

My initial concept involved traditional dulce de leche (made from dairy milk), but I wondered if I could amp up the coconut flavor a little by making dulce de coco instead.

The experiment paid off. While classic dulce de leche has a richer caramel color and flavor, the dulce de coco has the same thick, gooey texture and sweetness, plus the deep and delicious taste of coconut.

At one point I considered going truly loco for coco and swapping out all the butter in the cake for coconut oil, but two factors held me back:

1) I wanted the richness...actually...the buttery-ness of the butter to compliment the coconut and chocolate for a deeper, more well-rounded flavor.

2) Butter is pretty cheap. Coconut oil is not. Since this whole thing was an experiment, I figured I'd rather it be a relatively inexpensive one.

If, however, you'd like to make this cake dairy-free, it would be a simple swap to make!

 Dulce de Coco Cake
The toasted coconut on top and the tunnel of dulce de coco running throughout are the stars of this cake. The dulce de coco takes a while to make but can be prepared up to a week in advance if desired.

~for the dulce de coco~
2 cans unsweetened coconut milk (look for it in the international aisle near the Thai items)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine the coconut milk and brown sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

When the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat to med-low and continue to cook for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent scorching, until the mixture has reduced by about half, is light tan/dark blonde in color, and is very thick but still free flowing.

Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to push the mixture through a sieve into a bowl or storage container. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge for up to one week. You should have about 1 1/2 cups dulce de coco.

~for the cake~
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, left out at room temp for 20-30 min (does not need to be completely softened)
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut rum (optional)
1 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
dulce de coco from above

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a standard-sized bundt pan. I just place a T or so of flour in the pan after I butter it, cover the top with plastic wrap, and shake it until the entire pan is lightly coated. 

Any excess flour can be shaken out into the sink.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and rum (if using) and beat on med-high speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Don't worry if the mixture looks broken or curdled--it will look like yummy batter once the dry ingredients are added.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and beat on low speed 30 seconds just to incorporate. Scrape down the bowl if needed, increase speed to medium, and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Transfer the dough to the prepared bundt pan, using a spatula to help spread it around evenly.

Drop 8-10 T of the dulce de coco, evenly spaced, on top of the batter.

Drag a knife or spatula through the dulce de coco to connect/distribute the spoonfuls and push them down slightly in to the batter.

Reserve the remaining dulce de coco for the glaze.

Bake the cake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cake is set.

Allow to cool in the pan for at least one hour before running a knife along the edges (if needed) and inverting over a cooling rack. If the cake is at all warm at this point, allow to cool completely on the cooling rack.

~for topping~
2 squares Baker's semisweet chocolate*, divided
2 squares Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate, divided*
1 tsp coconut oil, divided
1 cup sweetened coconut
2 1/2 T butter
2 tsp cornstarch

Place one square of Baker's chocolate, one square of Ghirardelli chocolate, and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until completely smooth.

Use a pastry brush to paint the entire bottom (flat side) of the bundt cake, extending the chocolate about 1 inch down the sides of the cake. This should take every bit of the melted chocolate.

Allow to harden completely at room temperature. Don't wash out the chocolate bowl.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the coconut out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Take the baking sheet out and use a spatula to toss/redistribute the coconut so that the golden bits around the edges are in the center and the whiter parts are on the edges. Return to the 350-degree oven for 5 more minutes. Let cool.

Once the chocolate has hardened and the coconut has cooled, prepare the glaze:

Place the dulce de coco and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwavw for 30 seconds. Transfer to a blender or food processor along with the cornstarch. Blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture back to the dulce de coco container if desired.

Carefully turn the cake over so that the chocolate-coated side is on the bottom.

Use a clean pastry brush to coat the top and sides of the cake with the dulce de coco mixture.

Use your hands to gently apply the toasted coconut all over the glazed cake.

Place the remaining squares of chocolate and the remaining 1/2 tsp coconut oil in the same chocolate bowl used before. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until completely smooth. Use a fork or spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the cake.

Allow chocolate to set at room temperature before cutting. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to three days.

*You don't necessarily have to use these brands of chocolate. This is just the combination that I know works well for this application and with these instructions.

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