Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Pumpkin and chocolate may not be the most well-known combo but it is one of my all-time favorites and the best part of the holiday season to me. So so so good and so so so comforting.
Texture: The crust is buttery, slightly crumbly, slightly crunchy. The layer of chocolate above the crust adds a solid richness while the pumpkin filling is oh so creamy and delightful.
Ease: The crust was actually the most time-consuming aspect. The good thing is you can make the dough two days ahead of time and/or roll out the dough and shape it a day ahead of time. The finished tart stays good in the fridge for a few days.
Appearance: The best part! Melted chocolate is used to make a spiderweb design that any kid or adult will appreciate on Halloween.
Pros: Perfectly scrumptious, adorable, and can be made ahead of time.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Most definitely.
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When I first got into cooking and baking a few years ago I made my family a chocolate-pumpkin cheesecake. It might have been the first holiday dessert item I made from scratch. It was beyond delicious and from that moment on I was hooked on the pumpkin-chocolate combination. This tart has a chocolate crust and a layer of semisweet chocolate below the spiced pumpkin filling.
This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts, a cookbook I had to buy the moment I saw it. I remember this recipe standing out to me as I flipped through the pages because of the beautiful photo and creative design. I stored it away in my memory of things to make for the upcoming holidays. Actually, my list of holiday recipes to make is almost endless. Fall and winter are practically synonymous with good food.
What holiday recipes are on your to-make list?
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Pumpkin Chocolate Spiderweb Tart
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the filling:
- 1 can (15 ounce) unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
For the topping:
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl. Add butter. With an electric mixer on low speed beat until butter is the size of small peas, about 5 minutes. Add egg, mix until ingredients form a dough. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to just more than 1/8-inch. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim excess dough flush with rim. Pierce bottom of shell all over with a fork. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
- Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry, about 15 minutes. Immediately sprinkle the 4 ounces chocolate evenly over crust; let it begin to melt, then smooth with an offset spatula.
Make the filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves until smooth. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, discard the solids. Pour filling into prepared crust, just to top edge.
- Bake at 350 degrees until filling is set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 30 minutes.
Make the topping:
- Place the 2 ounces chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate to a resealable bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner. Pipe about 15 evenly spaced lines radiating out from the center of the tart. Pipe curved lines around the perimeter of the tart, connecting each spoke. Continue piping curved lines, spacing them closer together as you near the center. Refrigerate until set, 1 hour or up to 2 days.
I will try this adorable recipe. 1 question: Paragragh 2 of MAKE THE CRUST: It says: “Preheat oven 350….“ but then you say to put the dough in the fridge…..When do I use the 350 degree oven? Before I refrigerate or after???
If the caloric and fat content is correct, one piece of this tart would be the equivalent of normal total dietary intake for one and a half days!
[…] Pumpkin Chocolate Spiderweb Tart (from Handle the Heat) […]