Nothing says Autumn has arrived more than the aroma of something with pumpkin baking in the oven. When I found a recipe in my Milk Street cookbook that combined pumpkin with bourbon, I had to try it. Those who know me in real life know that I love to cook with bourbon, and sometimes I put it in the food (LOL, I know, old joke!!). There is an alternative for those who don’t do alcohol. Today, with permission, I will share this great recipe for a lighter Pumpkin Tart from Milk Street. This is a wonderful alternative to the heavy pumpkin pies usually served during the holidays, and without the usual spices, just a deep and fresh pumpkin flavor.
I began as I usually do by preparing a mis-en-place, measuring all the ingredients. There are only six ingredients to the filling, so pretty easy.
It is made in a tart pan, a low sided baking pan with a removable bottom.
I cheated and used a premade crust. Prick the crust well.
I don’t have pie weights, so I used a large pie baking dish to weigh the crust down for pre-baking. I painted this one myself at one of those ceramics stores some years ago.
After pre-baking, the crust has light color on the edges.
Next, the pumpkin and dark brown sugar are cooked together in a pan on top of the stove.
Stir constantly, the brown sugar will melt and incorporate into the pumpkin. Even though there is a fair amount of sugar, this tart doesn’t come out sweet.
As it cooks, the moisture will evaporate from the pumpkin, concentrating the flavor.
Deglaze the pan with the bourbon. It is a small amount, and the alcohol will burn off, leaving a smoky flavor that adds a nice complexity to the tart. If you just do not want to use bourbon, the recipe author says that orange juice can work too. You could use the juice from the orange that you need to zest for the topping.
Next, the recipe calls for using a food processor to combine the pumpkin, bourbon, eggs, salt, and creme fraiche. I don’t have one, so I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Don’t use a hand mixer, you don’t want to put air in the mixture by whipping it. You could mix it by hand or use a blender if you have to.
Pour into the crust.
After baking, the tart is slightly puffed.
A close view of the tart shows it is smooth and creamy, not heavy.
Add the Honey Orange whipped cream and you have a wonderful holiday dessert.
Milk Street’s Pumpkin Tart
1 recipe single-crust pie dough
15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup bourbon (or substitute orange juice)
8-ounce container (1 cup) crème fraîche
3 large eggs
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Heat the oven to 375F with racks in the middle and lowest positions.
On a well-floured counter, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Wrap the dough loosely around the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Ease the dough into the the pan, then trim the edges flush with the rim. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Line the chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights, then place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack until the edges are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the foil and weights, then bake until the bottom just begins to color, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce to 325F.
While the crust bakes, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, combine the pumpkin and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened, dark and leaves a film on the pan, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (the yield should be 1½ cups). Add the bourbon to the skillet, return to medium-high heat and stir, scraping up any browned bits; add to the pumpkin mixture.
In a food processor, combine the pumpkin mixture and crème fraiche; process until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs and salt, then process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the warm crust, smoothing the top. Bake on the baking sheet on the middle rack until the edges start to puff and crack and the center sets, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Remove the outer metal ring to serve warm or at room temperature.
Honey-Orange Whipped Cream
Don’t use creamed, thick or crystallized honey for this recipe. In order for the cream and honey to properly mix, a thin, pourable honey is needed. Start to finish: 5 minutes Makes about 3 cups
1½ cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all ingredients. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low until frothy, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to make sure the honey is incorporated. Mix on medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
I took the tart to a Mini Cooper car club event this past weekend, and it was half gone before I could get a photo! I brought home one slice, that My Sweet Babboo took care of that evening. Everyone said it was fantastic!
This scrumptious recipe can be found in the complete TV show cookbook from the Milk Street.
For new readers, here are a few of my original pumpkin recipes. First up, my Pumpkin Orange Bread from Autumn Jubilee 2016.
and Spiced Pumpkin Cake Donuts.
Today’s sponsor Milk Street has a new cookbook called The New Rules just published in time for Autumn Jubilee!! Someone will get a free copy!!
Just leave a comment on this post, do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? Then click on the Rafflecopter pic to enter the drawing.
Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe?
From My Carolina Home 
I’m probably the only person who isn’t a fan of pumpkin…..but when I owned/operated my own cooking school in the Chicago area I was asked to judge a pumpkin pie contest. The best I’d ever eaten was one that had a touch of Jack Daniels in the mix. Your post reminded me of that approach!
I will try this tart recipe…I’ve made your dump cake, donuts and pumpkin bread and they are all delicious. I am not a bourbon fan…(got sick once on bourbon pecan pie and just cannot abide thinking about it…yck!!! tmi??) but I will try this with the oj substitution. I don’t have a “go-to” dinner for Tuesday as my husband plays basketball each Tuesday night and waits until he gets home to eat—about 10pm, so it’s a light snack usually. Wednesday night is my usual quick pasta or rice night as we have to hurry and eat before choir practice. Usually its a quick stir-fry or oven-baked chicken and rice dinner.
This looks and sounds delicious except I have no idea what creme fraiche is. I’ll have to google that one. Thanks for the recipe and giveaway!!
Creme Fraiche is available in larger grocery stores. It is similar to sour cream, but not as tangy and has a higher fat content which is better for baking. It is naturally thicker and richer, and doesn’t have any added geletin or renin to make it thicker.
Looks and sounds heavenly!
I am going to try this pumpkin tart recipe. I love pumpkin, but not so much the spices that are added to recipes. I have no go-to nightly menus. My mother did though. You always knew what day it was when you came in by what was cooking on the stove. Not the same menu every week, just certain things she cooked on certain days of the week. That is kind of odd, now that I think of it, LOL.
xx, Carol
Thank you for the lovely recipes. I’m in a pumpkin mood. 🎃
I don’t have a favorite but will surely try this tart.
Lol! You crack me up! Yummy recipes shared. I have a favorite pumpkin mousse I make each year. It is light and provides for a wonderful evening dessert,
My favorite way to eat pumpkin is the pumpkin gelato they make at a shop here. It is seasonal, so I can only get it in the fall.
Looks delicious and just the type of dessert I like to make. My sister says I can tell if a recipe is amazing just by reading the recipe. This one looks amazing and needs to be tried. I love making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin biscotti. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, just in time for the season and I have start pan I never use! Can’t wait to try!
Carole, I love pumpkin anything and this looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I don’t have a favorite pumpkin recipe, but I think I’ll have to try this one. It looks delicious, and simple. Love that!
I have not tried it yet, but I have a recipe for pumpkin cookies with maple frosting. It sounds good and I’m going to make it for my guild on Friday. Lets hope it’s as good as it looks.
I have never thought of adding orange with pumpkin, but I am intrigued. I think I will be making one of these tarts this weekend. Thank you for the recipe!!
That sounds yummy. We get the magazines and love the recipes. Christopher Kimball is such a great writer. Sorry, I don’t have a go to Tuesday meal.
Argh, I forgot to change the comment question! Thanks for the heads up!
I’m processing Long Island Cheese pumpkins ( supposedly, Walt Disney used this type of pumpkins the model for Cinderella’s coach pulled by the little mice) from our garden now and will give the tart a try!
This looks delicious! We have been enjoying some pumpkin baking the past couple of years with a recipe from Damn Delicious for a Starbuck’s pumpkin scone which we all love. It only uses a little of the pumpkin out of the can so then we are baking bread and whatever else we can think of to use it with. My sister might like the excuse to prebake the tart crust like you show and to buy a tart pan. We’ve been getting together on Fridays to watch the latest episode of the Great British Baking Show. 🙂
I love pumpkin pie, but only with whipped cream! Canned pumpkin & Libby’s recipe! Yours looks wonderful!
Have you tried the New-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie recipe from Libby’s. It doesn’t use any sugar. Just sweetened condensed milk. Pumpkin Pie is my husband’s favorite, and he says he likes this more than the original.
My favorite recipe is pumpkin waffles. I eat them year round. This week I finally tried my pumpkin “flour” from last year’s massive pumpkin crop. I still have to get the water ratio correct, I think it’s 4:1 maybe. Adding water to it makes instant pumpkin puree…one experiment that actually paid off!
Although I like following through your posts step by step, I don’t cook or bake much, and pumpkin has never been a favorite of mine. I don’t get the fall obsession with pumpkin spice everything. =) However, this looks good and with the OJ substitute, I might try it this year. Thanks for the recipe and the careful, well photographed steps and tips. I don’t have a food processor, but I’m surprised you don’t, with all the cooking you do. I have a multi-button blender, and that works for me … and doesn’t get a lot of use either.
Carole, I love the way you photograph the ingredients for the recipe….in their containers. It helps me visualize & remember what I need to shop for. I’m a visual learner….hahaha!Will try the Pumpkin Dump Cake for my family this Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!
Altho I make them for family, I am not a pumpkin pie fan. I prefer using pumpkin as a savory vegetable, adding it to soups as a thickener, for instance.
My favorite pumpkins thing to make is pumpkin cheesecake. Yum!
I made your pumpkin toffee cake recipe for the family Thanksgiving gathering and it was a hit. However my favorite recipe with pumpkin is a cake that was passed to me by my aunt.
Connie
my favorite pumpkin receipe is my grandmothers and i use real pumpkin, steamed and shmushed!!!
I have used the “Libbie’s” pumpkin pie recipe for years and it always turns out well.
This pie recipe sounds wonderful. I am not a lover of the usual pie recipe so look forward to trying this. I have a favourite recipe for pumpkin cranberry bread which I bake during the colder months.
I don’t have a favorite pumpkin recipe but that tart sure looks yummy.
I have2 favorite pumpkin recipes; a pumpkin soup and a pumpkin cheesecake. I’m going to have to try your pumpkin bourbon tart. It looks and sounds delicious and so simple!
Yum! Oh I see, Mr. C. ate the last piece, so none left for me. LOL Looks delicious, Carole!
I love pumpkin. I have a great pumpkin bar recipe, pumpkin bread then a whole pumpkin/rice dinner.
My favorite pumpkin recipe is pumpkin scones – without the glaze, perfect with my morning coffee
My favorite pumpkin recipe is a lentil soup recipe that uses pumpkin. It doesn’t taste too “pumpkin-y” but has all the benefits and I make it every autumn.
I would like to try the tart recipe ; however, without a tart pan what would be an alternative?
A large pie baking dish would probably work. Just know that the recipe is not written for a thicker filling, so you may need to adjust the baking times.
I made a really spectacular pumpkin cheesecake a few years ago for Thanksgiving — it had a gingersnap crust too!
Sounds wonderful, pumpkin and bourbon is a great combo!
Jenna