The Prettiest Tart You'll Ever Make
And it tastes mighty good too!
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You may have seen this tart before…
Yes, it’s in my book, Open Kitchen. I couldn’t NOT include it there after it had become one of my most popular recipes on Instagram. I originally created it for Thanksgiving, and have made it every Thanksgiving since (except last year — but you know the story there if you read my newsletter from two weeks ago).
This tart always receives oohs and aahs from the crowd. When I made it just last week for the purposes of writing this newsletter, I cut myself a little sliver — it’s really easy to cut into slivers — just to “taste,” and was reminded why I love it so much. (OK, I had a few more slivers after that. It’s hard to stop.)
It’s made up of a layer of crunchy graham cracker crust (easy), that is followed by a thin layer of chocolate that prevents any kind of sogging of the crust (plus is delicious). The chocolate is followed by JUST the right amount of pumpkin or squash filling, which, finally, is topped off with a ruby-red glaze and crunchy gem-like pomegranate seeds. The collective flavor of the four layers sings and zings in your mouth. For me it hits all the notes, and every time I make it, I’m blown away by how beautiful it looks.
Believe me when I tell you: IT TAKES NO SPECIAL SKILLS TO MAKE THIS.
Like any tart, it does have multiple components, but if you make it over a day or three, it is almost effortless, because you can tackle one simple task at a time (or per day). OK, maybe it’s not effortless. I actually hate when people use that term to describe a dish, because nothing is truly “effortless” — and anyway, the effort is what makes the finished product so gratifying. A little bit of planning and careful work pays you back with a sense of accomplishment… and something really good to eat.
Even though you may have seen it before, I have yet again made a few changes to this recipe to streamline the process and to dirty fewer dishes. The original recipe (which I still stand by!) uses fresh butternut squash. That is pretty easy, especially if you buy the pre-peeled kind. For this though, I wanted to try it with canned pumpkin (which is reportedly made from butternut squash anyway), and of course it worked perfectly.
I also came up with a better way to create the chocolate layer. It’s so much easier to sprinkle chopped chocolate onto the warm crust and stick it back in the oven to melt it than to melt the chocolate in a separate bowl. I also give you full permission to use pumpkin pie spice instead of measuring out multiple spices. And lastly, go ahead and buy some pre-prepared pomegranate seeds rather than cracking one open yourself. This time of year, most grocery stores sell them!
Let this be the year you try this recipe! I promise you won’t regret it. And if you do make it, I’d love to see your creations. Tag me at @susanspungen on Instagram. (Trust me, you will want to share a pic — this is a showstopper!)
Watch my video tutorial to knock this recipe out of the park
On Wednesday, paid Susanality subscribers received this recipe along with a cooking class-style video showing exactly how to make this dish. I also shared cooking notes like sub options, timing recs, and ideas for what to do with your leftover pumpkin puree. If you want access, click here to sign up!
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope you have a wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving! I’ll be taking next week off from Susanality to celebrate with family and prep for what’s to come. Get ready for some cookie content headed your way in December!
Pumpkin Tart with Cranberry-Pomegranate Glaze
Serves 10
Special tools:
Food processor (optional)
10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (like this one!)
Offset spatula
Sieve/strainer/fine-mesh colander
For the crust:
13 whole graham crackers to yield 1¾ cups crumbs/191g (or store-bought graham cracker crumbs)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup/50g granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the filling:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note at bottom for substitute)
For the glaze:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup/50g granulated sugar
To finish:
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds (AKA arils)
Heat oven to 375°F. Process graham crackers, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor until fine crumbs form. (If using store-bought crumbs, just mix them and the other ingredients up in a bowl.) Add melted butter and pulse to combine. The mixture should feel like wet sand.
Spread the mixture out in a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press in, taking care to build up the sides so you’ll have a nice top edge. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden.
Sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly over the bottom of the tart shell, and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes, just until the chocolate has melted. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate evenly and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, pop the tart shell into the freezer or fridge to firm up the chocolate.
Reduce oven heat to 350°F. Combine pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly. Pour into the cooled crust, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until slightly puffed at the edges and no longer jiggly in the center. Place on a cooling rack.
When cool enough to handle, loosen the ring from the tart to make sure it isn’t stuck. If it is, use the tip of a paring knife to loosen the edges. Keep the ring in place. Once cool, you can refrigerate the tart for up to 2 days if not serving right away. If waiting, cover the tart with plastic wrap, using a few toothpicks to keep the plastic wrap off of the surface (you won’t see the holes or any imperfections once you glaze it).
To make the glaze, slowly whisk the pomegranate juice into the cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Combine that mixture with the cranberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, until the cranberries have all burst and are very soft. Let cool slightly, and pass through a sieve (or fine-mesh colander) set over a bowl, using a rubber spatula to squeeze out all of the liquid. Scrape the back side of the strainer and stir the glaze. If it looks too thick to pour smoothly, add a few drops of water.
Pour the glaze over the tart (the tart can be either chilled or just cool enough to handle), and tip it around so the glaze is even. Chill for about 10 minutes to allow the glaze to set up a little, then decorate the edge with the pomegranate seeds. Chill until ready to serve.
Note: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can make your own by using:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Made this for Thanksgiving - the most unique, tasty pumpkin pie variation I've ever done. So complex in flavor but simple to make. I subscribed based on this one - thank you!!!
Super fun to make this tart and the results are just as described -- the prettiest! For taste preference I would delete the chocolate as I thought it overwhelms the pumpkin and fruit, but that's just me. Thanks for this Thanksgiving show-stopper dessert!