Caramel Pumpkin Tartelettes

To be honest - I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pie, even though I'm a pumpkin addict. Caramel Pumpkin Tartelettes are not too far from the traditional pumpkin pie, but far enough for me to fall in love with their caramel delicately spiced taste.  The idea comes from Gourmet magazine, though I used Pierre Hermé's recipe for the shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) and instead of preparing one big pie I went for small and cute tartelettes.
The tartelettes are rich with caramel, whose sweetness is contrasted with the spiciness of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger added to the pumpkin. The pastry's texture is delicate and buttery... Just poetry :)
Bon appétit! :)

Caramel Pumpkin Tartelettes 

Makes 8 tartelettes - 11cm in diameter each or 1 big (26cm - 10 1/2 in)

For shortcrust pastry - pâte brisée by Pierre Hermé*:

188g butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
250g plain white flour
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 scant teaspoon caster sugar
50ml full fat milk at room temperature

1. Place the butter in a bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon to soften. Stir in the salt and egg yolk. Stir the sugar into the milk in a bowl. Pour this onto the softened butter in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
2. Sift the flour into a shallow bowl and steadily stir it into the butter mixture. Mix by stirring with a wooden spoon or gently bring it together by hand in the bowl.
3. On a floured work surface and using the palm of your hand, lightly knead the pastry just until it forms a soft, moist dough. Ligthness of hand and speed are very important, and the whole process shouldn't take longer than 4-5minutes or the pastry will be tough.
4. Shape the dough into 8 equal balls, flatten slightly, and wrap in cling film. Leave in the fridge to rest for at least 2 hours. The resting time in the refrigerator gives the gluten in the flour a chance to relax. Effective chilling will prevent the dough from shrinking too much when it goes into the hot oven.
5. After the chilling time, roll the dough out between two large sheets of baking parchment. Make sure to lift the top sheet of parchment from time to time so that it doesn't crease into the dough. When it's 3-5mm thick, move each piece into the bottom of the pan. It should cover the bottom and the sides, cut off  the excess pastry.
6. Using your fingertips, press the pastry into and up the sides of the ring. If the dough splits or cracks as you work, then simply patch the split with small scraps of pastry using your fingers to glue them into place. Don't strech the pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 30minutes.
7. In the meantime, cut out a circle of baking parchment slightly larger than the tart ring or tin. Fold the disc in half several times to make a triangular shape, then clip the outer edge with scissors. Clipping the edge ensures a close fit against the rim when the paper is placed in the tart ring.
8. Take the tart rings with the pastry out from the fridge. Cover the base and sides of the pastry with the prepared baking parchment, taking the paper above the sides of the ring. Fill with dried beans- the tarts will keep the form and won't rise during baking.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 18-20minutes. After that time it will be partially baked. Remove the beans and lining paper, then return the tart pans to oven and bake for 6-7 minutes longer. Cool the shells on a wire rack.

*recipe comes from "The Cook's Book"

For caramel-pumpkin filling:

200g (1 cup) sugar
1/3 cup water
500ml (2 cups) heavy cream (I used whipping cream, 30%)
420g (1 can 15-oz solid-pack pumpkin, not pie filling) pumpkin purée
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (best if freshly grated)
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, gently swirling pan (do not stir!), until mixture is a deep golden caramel, about 10 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to moderate and carefully add 1 cup cream (mixture will bubble vigorously, don't be intimidated by that ;) ), stirring until caramel is dissolved. Stir in the remaining cup cream and bring just to a simmer.
3. Whisk together pumpkin purée, spices and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in hot cream mixture, then add eggs whisking until combined well. Pour filling into cooled crusts and bake until puffed and center is just set, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack, about 2 hours at least before serving - tartelettes will continue to set as they cool. Enjoy with some whipped cream :)

NOTES:
- dough can be chilled up to 1 day or frozen, wrapped well in foil, 1 month.
- the shells can be baked 1 day ahead and kept wrapped in a plastic wrap (after cooling) at room temperature.