Pumpkin and Chocolate Tart

Name: Pumpkin and Chocolate Tart
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Butter 9 tbsp; Sugar 7 ¼ tbsp; Fine salt 1 pinch; Egg yolks 2; Type 00 flour 1 ½ cup; Unsweetened cocoa powder 4 tbsp; Powdered ginger to taste; Cinnamon powder to taste; Nutmeg to taste; Pumpkin cleaned 1.3 lbs; Eggs 2; Brown sugar 6 ½ tbsp; Cinnamon powder ½ tsp; Fresh liquid cream 2.5 oz; Water 1.8 oz; Dark chocolate 55% 3.5 oz; Fresh liquid cream ½ cup; Butter 1 tbsp; Honey 1 tsp; White chocolate 1.5 oz

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Average
Note + 30 minutes resting time for the shortcrust pastry

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lucake

Pumpkin and Chocolate Tart layers a soft pumpkin filling beneath a velvety dark chocolate glaze, all held inside a crumbly cocoa shortcrust spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The mild sweetness of the pumpkin against the intensity of the dark chocolate is the contrast the whole dessert is built around, and a white chocolate swirl across the glossy surface turns it visually striking without demanding any advanced pastry skills. It works equally well as a dinner-party finish or a generous afternoon slice, and the spiced crust gives it a warmth that feels exactly right for fall.

The cocoa shortcrust does real work here — its slight bitterness keeps the filling from tipping too sweet and holds both layers cleanly in place, so every slice comes out looking as good as the whole tart. The pumpkin filling stays soft and delicate beneath the dark chocolate glaze, and those two layers together give you a contrast of flavor and texture in every bite. White chocolate dragged across the dark glaze is the finishing move, and it's one anyone can pull off with nothing more than a toothpick or skewer.

INGREDIENTS

For the shortcrust pastry: Butter 9 tbsp (125 g); Sugar 7 ¼ tbsp (90 g); Fine salt 1 pinch; Egg yolks 2; Type 00 flour 1 ½ cup (180 g); Unsweetened cocoa powder 4 tbsp (20 g); Powdered ginger to taste; Cinnamon powder to taste; Nutmeg to taste

For the filling: Pumpkin 1.3 lbs (600 g) - cleaned; Eggs 2; Brown sugar 6 ½ tbsp (90 g); Cinnamon powder ½ tsp; Fresh liquid cream 2.5 oz (70 g); Water 1.8 oz (50 g)

For the glaze: Dark chocolate 55% 3.5 oz (100 g); Fresh liquid cream ½ cup (110 g); Butter 1 tbsp (15 g); Honey 1 tsp

For the decoration: White chocolate 1.5 oz (40 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Pumpkin and Chocolate Tart

To make the pumpkin and chocolate tart, start with the shortcrust pastry. In a bowl put the butter, the sugar 1 and a pinch of salt 2. Work by hand until you obtain a creamy mixture 3.

Next add the egg yolks 4 and stir with a spoon 5, then incorporate the sifted flour, cocoa and spice mix 6.

Continue mixing with the spoon 7 to bring all ingredients together, then finish kneading by hand 8 until you have a compact, homogeneous dough. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap 9 and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Peel the pumpkin 10, remove the seeds, cut it into slices and then into cubes 11, place it in a bowl with about 3 tbsp + 1 tsp (50 g) of water 12.

Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap 13 and cook in the microwave for 8–10 minutes at 800 watts. Let it cool slightly 14, then transfer to a food processor 15.

Blend until you have a puree and let it cool completely 16, remembering to weigh out 8.8 oz (about 1 cup) — this is the quantity required by the recipe. After the resting time, work the pastry between your hands for a few seconds to make it elastic again without warming it; on a floured work surface roll the pastry with a rolling pin 17 to a thickness of about 3/16 in (5 mm). Grease a 9-inch (22 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray or butter and fit a circle of parchment paper cut to size into the bottom; if using butter, flour the sides as well. Line the pan with the pastry, press it well into the base and sides and trim the excess with a small knife 18.

Prick the base with a fork 19, then bake in a static oven preheated to 3476F (1756C) for 22 minutes on the lower shelf. Meanwhile prepare the filling: in a bowl combine the eggs, the brown sugar 20 and the cinnamon 21, whisking by hand until uniform.

Add 8.8 oz (about 1 cup) of cooked pumpkin pulp 22 and the liquid heavy cream 23, continuing to whisk by hand 34 until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture.

Remove the tart base from the oven, pour in the pumpkin filling 25 26 and bake again in a static oven preheated to 3206F (1606C) for 35 minutes on the lower shelf. Then take the tart out of the oven, let it cool, unmold it and place it on a serving plate. Prepare the glaze: finely chop the dark chocolate on a board 27 and transfer it to a bowl.

In a small saucepan heat the cream 28 with the honey 29 until the honey melts and, just as it reaches a simmer, pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate 30. Stir with a whisk to melt the chocolate.

Add the butter cut into cubes 31 and continue stirring with a whisk 32, then pour the glaze over the pumpkin filling 33.

Spread the glaze with a spatula 34 to obtain a smooth, even surface. On a board chop the white chocolate 35 and melt it in a bain-marie or in the microwave 36.

Transfer it into a How to make a piping cone with parchment paper and draw parallel lines spaced about 3/4 in (2 cm) apart 37. With a toothpick draw perpendicular lines across the chocolate lines, always changing the direction of the strokes with the toothpick to achieve this decorative effect 38. Finally, chill the tart in the refrigerator to set for at least one hour; after that your pumpkin and chocolate tart will be ready to enjoy 39.