Tags: Fall For the Colder Months Holiday Sweet Tooth Thanksgiving
It’s fall in Virginia, and I’m in love! As I write this, rain falls steadily outside, I’m sipping a cup of perfectly brewed tea, the boys are playing sweetly together in front of the fireplace, and I can smell that familiar dusty smell as the heater runs for the first time this year…as far as I’m concerned, this is paradise!
Fall in Virginia is beyond…well, it’s just beyond! There are no words for the sheer beauty that is fall in Virginia. There’s a massive number of trees here (all that nasty humidity rewards us with bountiful, lush landscape) and come October, those beautiful babies really start showing off! Leaves of red, orange, gold, yellow, and a million other rich and glorious shades make you want to buy ALL the pumpkins! The landscape here is one of the many reasons we fell in love with Virginia the first time we lived here. I remember taking a trip to Richmond, driving up the freeway, and just being in awe of the FOREST we lived in. When my parents came to visit, the first thing they said was “we couldn’t believe all the trees as we flew in!”
Yeah alright, East Coast…this West Coast girl bows to your autumn superiority!
Being a California native, I should probably prefer sunny summer days, but I’ve always been a sucker for fall and its wet, rainy weather. I remember the first time Adrian and I traveled to Seattle: I was IN LOVE with the constant drizzle. Of course, we were outside sightseeing in that gloom…which was miserable…but I still appreciated the beauty of it. It was, however, that trip that made me realize that while I love the rain, I prefer to be INSIDE enjoying the rain…curled up with a book and a cup of hot cocoa (I also realized that CONSTANT rain isn’t for me…I enjoy a little sunshine too!) One day during our Seattle trip we took a ferry across the water to Bainbridge Island and I remember getting off the boat and feeling the warm sun on my skin—it was the first time we’d seen sun all week. The entire island was bathed in sunlight and everyone getting off the boat had the same reaction. It was comical because we all looked like prison inmates being let outside for the first time in months!
I’m convinced my love of fall and rainy weather stems from my childhood. California doesn’t get a ton of rain…that’s one complaint I always had growing up. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t top California weather…don’t even bother trying to convince me there’s better weather out there! So yeah, when it rains in California, we celebrate like it’s Mardi Gras! Growing up, my mom would bake goodies and light candles whenever it rained. I have vivid memories of lying on the living room floor with my feet in front of the wall heater, reading a book while the smell of chocolate chip cookies and spice scented candles filled the house.
That’s a trait I most definitely inherited from my mama. As soon as the clouds come rolling in, I’ve got all the candles lit and something coming together in my mixer. There’s just nothing better than rain outside with something delicious in the oven…those intoxicating scents mixing with whatever scented candle I’ve got burning is absolute perfection! Even Liev is developing a love for the rain. Whenever it starts raining, he gets so excited and says, “your rain is back, mom!” Adorable!!
Sticking to tradition, and always trying to emulate my mom’s knack for creating “cozy”, this rainy afternoon is no exception. Baking away in my oven this beautiful rainy fall day is (if you read my last post, you’ll be surprised to hear) a pumpkin crème tart! Yes, this pumpkin hater is once again cooking with pumpkin. And holy cow does the house smell heavenly! Hey, I may not like eating pumpkin, but I can still appreciate its unmistakably “fall” aroma, right?!
Happy fall, ya’ll!!
Pumpkin Crème Tart
For the dough:
· 1 ¼ cup flour
· 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
· ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
· ½ cup cold butter, cubed
· 2 egg yolks
· 2 Tbsp ice cold water
In a small spouted measuring cup whisk the egg yolks and water. Set aside.
Combine the flour, powdered sugar and cocoa in your food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. With your food processor running, slowly pour in egg/water mixture until dough comes together. Shape dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours (overnight is better)
On floured surface, roll out dough and place in tart pan. Press the dough into the nooks and crannies of your tart pan. Make sure it reaches to all corners and all the way up the sides. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
*Side Note: The reason I like making tarts more than pies is because tart dough is sooooooo forgiving! You can butcher it while moving it from the counter to the pan and NO WORRIES…you just piece it together in the pan and no one’s the wiser! So, don’t feel like you need a perfect circular dough when rolling it out. You just need it somewhat uniform in thickness so when you press it into the pan, you don’t end up with sections that are drastically thicker than others.
Preheat oven to 325°
Line your dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 25 minutes.
Remove parchment and weights and bake until cooked through (about 20 minutes more). Set aside to cool completely while you prepare the filling.
For the filling:
· ½ cup sugar
· ½ tsp ground cinnamon
· ¼ tsp ground ginger
· ⅛ tsp ground clove
· ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
· 5 egg yolks
· 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
· 1 cup pumpkin puree
In a small bowl combine sugar and spices.
In a large bowl whisk egg yolks with HALF the sugar/spice mixture.
In small saucepan, heat cream, pumpkin puree and remaining sugar/spice mixture over medium heat until it boils.
SLOWLY pour cream mixture into yolk mixtures, whisking constantly until mixture comes together.
Pour mixture into prepared dough and bake 30-35 minutes, until center is just set. Let come to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.
You can serve the tart as is with whipped cream OR you can sprinkle the top of the chilled tart with a light layer of superfine sugar and caramelize with a torch…turn it into a family sized Crème Brûlée (I highly recommend option #2)
