i hope we’re all not sick of pumpkin spice treats yet because the holiday season is just starting! once halloween is over, that is when i go full holiday mode (christmas enthusiast over here), so i am going to soak up the last couple days of october with all things pumpkin!
what does everyone have planned for halloween? justin & i are going to stay in, watch a scary movie (we finished the haunting of hill house in days), hand out candy & bake up some halloween treats. the perfect last day of october. this year we are going to make these pumpkin chai tarts! they are basically like mini pumpkin pies, but better. the crust is sweeter, almost shortbread like & the filling is mixed with chai concentrate which makes things extra cozy. i am seriously loving the combination of pumpkin & chai this year. i think you just need to try this recipe for yourself to know what i am talking about! these pumpkin chai cupcakes too.
for the sweetener in both the filling & crust, i used bob's red mill turbinado sugar. it is a more natural sugar then plain old white sugar & adds much more flavour. as you probably know by now, turbinado is my go to sugar for baking. for the whipped cream topping, i got a little fancy & piped different designs onto each tart. if you will be serving these to guest or putting them out at a party, try not to top them with whipped cream until an hour or so beforehand. fresh whipped cream is best!
ingredients
for the crust
- 1 1/2 cups bob's red mill all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup bob's red mill turbinado sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
for the filling
- 1 cup pumpkin pure, fresh or canned
- 1 cup bob's red mill turbinado sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1/4 cup chai tea extract (i use dona chai)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- whipped cream, for serving
directions
for the crust
- in a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar & salt.
- add the butter & work in using your hands until a pea sized crumb mixture is formed.
- in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk & vanilla.
- add to the flour mixture and mix until the dough begins to come together.
- divide dough evenly amongst 8 tartlet pans.
- shape dough to pan to create a crust. let chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
for the filling
- in a large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, egg, egg yolk, heavy cream, chai tea extract & vanilla until smooth.
- add the ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, nutmeg & salt. whisk until combined.
- divide filling evenly amongst the 8 prepared tartlet pans.
- bake for 20-25 minutes. let cool to room temperature before serving!
- serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
