Pumpkin Cheese Tart with a sweet walnut pastry and soft cheese filling is far tastier than you realise. It is rich, smooth and very creamy.
Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and watch your kids' faces light up with joy.
Pumpkin Cheese Tart
Recipe courtesy: California Walnuts
Serves: 7-8
Ingredients
For the tart shell
- 1¼ cup maida or all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
- 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar or jaggery
- 1/3 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom
- Nonstick cooking spray or butter
For the filling
- 1 small fresh 400 gm pumpkin, peeled and pureed (you can also use 400 gm canned pumpkin)
- ½ cup low-fat cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar or jaggery, packed
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix, available online
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 egg plus + 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Method
For the tart shell
- Stir together the flour, chopped walnuts, powdered sugar or jaggery in a medium bowl.
Stir in the softened butter and the egg.
Stir well with a fork or mix using your hands until it is a soft dough.
Roll it into a ball and wrap it tightly in foil.
Refrigerate for at least an hour or until the dough is easy to handle.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
Lay the pastry dough on a board lightly dusted with flour.
Roll it into an 11-inch circle.
Transfer into the pan and press onto the bottom and the sides.
Prick with a fork on the bottom and sides to create air vents.
Bake for 20 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
Take out of the oven and cool.
For the filling
- While the crust is baking, whisk together the pumpkin and the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth.
Add in the brown sugar or jaggery, spice mix, vanilla essence, egg, egg yolk and whisk until well incorporated.
Don't over whisk.
Pour the batter into the baked and cooled tart shell and top with the chopped walnuts.
Bake it for 40 minutes or until the filling is set when the pan is gently tapped.
Take out of oven and cool.
Cover with cling film or foil and refrigerate until ready to serve.
If preferred, top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream and serve.