food

Pumpkin Pie Tarts

November 30, 2020 by sallyb.zhao No Comments

This past holiday weekend, I decided to make pumpkin pie as a final hurrah to the pumpkin season. Instead of making a full 9″ pie, I made little tarts so I could gift some to my friends. With smaller tarts, there was no need to blind bake the crust and it also resulted in a higher crust to filling ratio, win-win! These tarts blew away all my expectations and I’ve deemed them the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. The silky pie filling contrasted well with the flaky butter crust, and it was lightyears beyond the drabby refrigerated pumpkin pies that we bought in previous years. Needless to say, I will be making my own pumpkin pie from now on!

How to Get Flaky Layers of Pie Crust

When you cut the cold butter into the flour, there will be pieces of butter speckling the dough. As the crust bakes, these specks of butter will spread out into layers to form a flaky crust! Thus, it’s important to use cold butter so it doesn’t completely incorporate into the dough before baking.

Pumpkin Pie Tarts

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 h 45 minutes
Yield: 6 4-inch tarts

Flaky buttery crust and a silky pie filling, these are sure to please the holiday crowd!

Ingredients

Pie Crust
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 3 – 4 tbsp ice water
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
Pumpkin Pie Filling
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (about half a can)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tbsp condensed milk
Fresh Whipped Cream
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

Pie Crust
  1. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
  2. Add the cold butter to the bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the largest pieces of butter are pea-sized.
  3. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the ice water over the mixture and mix. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough just begins to form together. The dough will appear dry and crumbly, but too much water will result in a tough crust.
  4. Form the dough into a disc (do not over-knead), wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for an hour or up to 2 days.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
  1. In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, egg, and brown sugar together.
  2. Add the salt, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
  3. Place in the refrigerator.
Bake the Tarts
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Roll out the chilled dough into 6-inch circles and 1/8-inch thickness. Press and shape the dough into the tart pans.
  3. Spoon the refrigerated pie filling into each tart, up to the brim of the crust.
  4. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until the center is set and crust is golden brown. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.
Fresh Whipped Cream
  1. Whip up the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl for 3 – 4 minutes, until medium peaks form.
  2. Serve with a slice of pumpkin pie and enjoy!