PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE TART RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare Tart Crust: Process pecans in a food processor 10 to 12 seconds or until finely ground.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 minute or until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt. Add egg, beating just until blended; stir in vanilla. Stir together flour and processed pecans; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until mixture is no longer crumbly and forms a ball, pulling away from sides of bowl. Press dough on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom. Chill 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Line crust with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil; bake 12 to 14 more minutes or until crust is light brown. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Increase temperature to 425°.
• Prepare Cream Cheese Layer: Beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in orange zest. Spread over bottom of crust.
• Prepare Pumpkin Layer: Whisk together pumpkin and next 5 ingredients until smooth; pour over cream cheese layer in crust. Cover tart edges with aluminum foil.
• Bake at 425° for 15 minutes; reduce temperature to 350°, and bake 45 to 55 more minutes or until a knife inserted in center of pumpkin layer comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 12 hours.
• Gently blot any moisture that collected on top of tart during chilling with a paper towel. Spread Honey Swiss Meringue over tart. Brown meringue using a kitchen torch, holding torch 1 to 2 inches from meringue and moving torch back and forth.

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the almonds until coarsely ground. Add 1/2 cup of the flour and process to a fine powder; transfer to a bowl. In the food processor, pulse the butter and confectioners' sugar until creamy. Pulse in the egg and vanilla. Pulse in the remaining 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of flour, the almond flour and the salt until a soft dough forms. Pat the pastry into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 14-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Roll the pastry onto the rolling pin and unroll it over an 11 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the pastry into the rim. Fold in the overhanging dough and press to reinforce the side; the side should be twice as thick as the bottom. Trim off any excess pastry and refrigerate until firm.
• Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the pastry for about 25 minutes, or until set. Remove the parchment and weights and bake for 10 minutes longer, until the crust is golden and cooked through. Let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, ground spices, nutmeg and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin puree until smooth. Beat in the cream, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs at low speed until blended.
• Put the crust on a large, sturdy baking sheet and set it in the oven. Pour the pumpkin custard into the crust. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Cover the edge with foil if the crust starts to brown too much. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries with 1/2 cup of water and cook over moderate heat until they begin to pop, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine sieve. Rinse out the saucepan.
• Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of water to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, until dissolved. Let cool. Stir in the orange juice and cranberry puree.
• In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and let stand until softened, 5 minutes. Microwave for 10 seconds, or until completely melted. Whisk the gelatin into the cranberry mixture and pour the gelée over the pumpkin custard; shake it gently to even it out. Refrigerate the tart until set, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Remove the tart ring and serve.