Pumpkin Ricotta Tarts with Pecan-Pepita Pralines
Light and airy pumpkin tarts made with whipped ricotta and served with praline pecans and pepitas
Equipment
- 10 mini nonstick tart pans
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tbsp. butter, melted
Pumpkin Ricotta Pie Filling
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 oz.)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. cardamom
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée, or fresh pumpkin cooked and puréed
- 2 lightly beaten egg yolks
Whipped Ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta, whipped until fluffy and smooth, divided
- 1 tbsp. milk or cream
- 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Spray the bottoms and sides of the tart pans with cooking spray.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Stir until well-incorporated. Pat mixture in the bottom of each of the mini tart pans.
- Place the tart pans on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or just until the crust begins to turn slightly brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Pumpkin Ricotta Pie Filling
- Combine gelatin, sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and milk in a saucepan. Whisk to blend and bloom the gelatin. Stir in the pumpkin and egg yolks. Whisk together. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and continue on a low boil for about one minute longer. Mixture will thicken as it cooks and more so as it cools.
- Remove from heat, cool to room temperature. Once cooled, chill in the refrigerator until the custard is cold and set.
- Meanwhile, place the ricotta and 1 tbsp. milk or cream in the bowl of your standing mixer and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add maple syrup and vanilla and continue to whip until incorporated. (Ricotta does not get completely smooth like whipped cream does, so you will still have some texture to the whipped ricotta.)
- Gently fold whipped ricotta into the pumpkin custard and stir until blended. Refrigerate this mixture until ready to assemble the tarts.
Assembling Tarts
- When ready to assemble, spoon pumpkin filling evenly into each of the tart pans with the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Spoon a dollop of reserved whipped ricotta on top of each tart and garnish with praline pecans & pepitas. See recipe link above and in notes below for the praline pecans & pepitas.
Notes
You can take several directions with these tartlets. You can use our regular pumpkin chiffon pie and use just a dollop of whipped ricotta on top, if you prefer a more traditional chiffon pie! This will be sweeter and more light and fluffy. Or you can simply make regular pumpkin pie filling and serve with whipped ricotta. Any which way, the key here is the whipped ricotta! Soooooo good!
You can make the praline pecans & pepitas several days ahead, but be sure to hide them!