Thinking of what dessert to prepare for year-end gatherings with family and friends? Try this delicious, vegan pumpkin tart topped with pecan crumble. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Note: Best results if tart is allowed to cool overnight.
Crust
Ingredients
1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted (use unbleached white flour for a lighter crust)
½ cup white flour, sifted
½ cup coconut oil (chilled/thick)
¼+ cup ice water
¾ tsp salt
Method
- About an hour before beginning the recipe, place oil in a plastic container. Freeze the oil until it’s opaque and congealed but still soft (like cold butter).
- In a large mixing bowl, place flour and salt
- Working quickly, add the oil by tablespoonful, cutting it into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter until large pebbles develop in the flour.
- Drizzle about ¼+ cup of ice water into the dough and mix the dough with the fork. Fold dough until it forms into a ball and sticks well together. Take care not to knead the dough, or it will get tough. If more water is needed, only add it to the flour that has not been moistened until it forms a ball, then join it with the rest of the dough. (This prevents over-kneading of the dough which works the gluten, making the crust hard.)
- Place dough ball between two layers of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll out with rolling pin. Remove top layer of paper/plastic wrap and flip crust onto oiled, 11-inch tart pan. Trim edges.
Filling
Ingredients
3 cups steamed pie/sugar pumpkin or butternut squash puree
(about 4-5 lb. raw pumpkin. Try to avoid canned pumpkin.)
¾ cup Florida Crystals brand Demerara cane sugar (or other granulated sugar of choice)
2 Tbsp molasses
1/3 cup coconut cream (not milk)
1 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp organic fresh orange rind
Juice of 1 orange
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ tsp salt
Method
- Wash pumpkin, cut in half and remove seeds and cut in smaller pieces that will fit in pot (no need to peel pumpkin). Steam pieces until tender. Remove from heat and allow pumpkin to cool then scrape flesh from skins and measure 3 cups of the flesh into blender cup. Discard skins. Leftover pumpkin may be frozen for later use.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place all other ingredients in a blender and blend well.
- Pour the filling into crust and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Check after 40 minutes to see if pie is set in the middle. If not, continue to bake until fairly set in the middle (about one hour). If needed, cover with foil to prevent excessive browning. NOTE: Tart will set completely after it cools.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 F, carefully top tart with pecan crumble, and bake another 25 to 30 minutes. Allow tart to cool completely overnight; this will ensure that it is set completely. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Pecan Crumble
Ingredients
¼ cup melted Earth Balance or other vegan butter
1½ cups chopped pecans
1 cup firmly packed light brown cane sugar, vegan/organic
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch coriander
Pinch salt
Method
- Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until clumpy. Top tart as directed above.