I know today is Halloween, but you know how I feel about that, so I’m skipping it right over and moving on…

Thanksgiving is hands down my all time favorite food holiday. I pass on the turkey and rolls, nah, I don’t care for those. Unless of course there’s homemade huckleberry jam on the table, then I’ll eat ONLY rolls and the huckleberry jam. I sorta love huckleberry, like, A LOT!

Besides the rolls and huckleberry jam, it’s the side dishes that I go ga-ga over. LOAD on the stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, creamed corn, crunchy green bean casserole and loads of fresh cranberry sauce. Pile it all on my plate, then take a fork and swirl it all around so everything is touching. Yes, this truly sounds divine. It’s like a cornucopia of flavors in my mouth. Mmmmm, I’m getting a little giddy just imaging all the yummy side dishes.

And dessert. Dear goodness how I LOVE thanksgiving dessert. But I’m a little bizarre with my desserts. I like the filling of the pies, not the crust. I scoop out the filling and plop that on my plate then shovel on about a gallon of fresh whip cream, mmmm, heaven. The crust, ya, I can do without it. I know, I know, I’m so weird. This is why my husband and I are the perfect Thanksgiving team though. We like the exact opposite food. He likes the turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes (ya, I don’t put those on my plate either), and pie crust. I like everything else.

After making this tart, I do believe my entire thanksgiving dessert plate has forever changed though. If you put this in front of me, I’ll eat the filling AND the crust. Together, at the same time. And then I’ll go back for seconds and thirds. And I’ll secretly pray you hate it so that there are leftovers for me for breakfast.

The recipe makes 1 11 inch round tart. However, I used a rectangle tart pan which only used about half of the crust and mousse. I used the rest of the mousse as a filling for a cake (that recipe is coming later). Whatever you do with the mousse, just make it. Whether you use it in a tart, as a filling for a cake, or bathe in it. Just make it. It’s DELICIOUS!

Pumpkin Oreo Tart
The original idea is from Ina’s Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart, but I didn’t want banana in it. So I just used it as a guide, and created my own.


Makes 1 11 inch tart

Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups Oreo crumbs (about 28 oreos, with the filling)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1/2 cup half and half
2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (1 15 ounce can + 1/2 cup)
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Garnish: Whip Cream

I used the canned stuff. I STILL have cans I am trying to use up from a few months ago. Sure, fresh whip cream would’ve been best, but I gotta use these cans up before they go bad.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside while you make the filling.

Heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them (tempering the yolks), then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly.

*You don’t want the eggs to scramble, which is why you constantly stir it.
Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Cut into slices to serve.

Add whip cream if you so desire. And who DOESN’T desire whip cream.

Eat your slice. Then give the half eaten tart to your friend for her birthday. Text her saying “I’m bringing you a birthday tart, but I ate some. Hope you don’t mind.”