Smart Choice Caramel Pumpkin Mousse Tart Food

PUMPKIN MOUSSE

Steps:

• 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, 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. Remove from the heat.
• Dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.
• For the decoration: Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Fold half the whipped cream into the cooled pumpkin mixture.
• Pour the mousse into a 7 by 4-inch souffle dish. Pipe or spoon the remaining whipped cream decoratively on the mousse and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.

PUMPKIN CARAMEL MOUSSE

Steps:

• Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a small bowl.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Stir, then let it sit while you make the caramel.
• Find a bowl that is large enough for you to dip the bottom of your saucepan into it; fill it with an inch of ice water and place it on your stove. Place the scant 1/2 cup (125 grams) sugar in a medium saucepan, preferably stainless steel. Add the remaining tablespoon of water and the lemon juice and carefully stir together with a heatproof rubber spatula. Using a wet pastry brush, brush down the sides of the saucepan so that there are no stray sugar crystals that could cause the caramel to seize. Turn the heat on medium-high and heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns a light caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not stir, but from time to time carefully brush down the sides of the pan with the wet brush. Do not let the caramel get hotter than 325 degrees. As soon as it reaches this temperature and is golden brown, remove from the heat and dip the bottom of the saucepan into the bowl of cold water to stop the caramel from heating further. Let sit until the bubbles subside.
• Using a heatproof spatula, carefully stir the brown sugar mixture into the hot caramel. It may bubble up, so be careful. Add the softened gelatin and stir to dissolve. Whisk in the canned pumpkin and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a mixing bowl and electric beaters). Beat until they begin to foam, and add the cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Beat at medium speed and add the remaining sugar in a slow, steady stream. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and shiny, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.
• Lighten the warm pumpkin mixture by folding in one-third of the beaten egg whites, using a balloon whisk or a large spatula. Pour the remaining egg whites over the top, and carefully fold them into the pumpkin mixture using a rubber spatula. Fold in the whipped cream.
• It's easiest to do a neat job of filling the glasses if you use a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip. Pipe or spoon the mousse into 8 glasses; use small tumblers, wine glasses or whiskey glasses. Sprinkle the ground hazelnuts over the top. If desired, make 2 layers of the hazelnuts: Pipe half the amount of the pumpkin mousse you need for each serving into the glasses, then sprinkle on a layer of hazelnuts; then pipe the rest and top with another layer. Cover the glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.

SMART-CHOICE CARAMEL-PUMPKIN MOUSSE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Crush 10 wafers coarsely; place in medium bowl. Reserve for later use. Finely crush remaining wafers; mix with 1/3 cup butter. Press onto bottom of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Add remaining butter, nuts, sugar and 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to reserved crumbs; mix well. Spread onto bottom of shallow pan; place in oven along with the tart crust. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until both are light golden brown; cool.
• Beat Neufchatel and pumpkin in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Add remaining pie spice and dry pudding mix; beat until blended. Gradually beat in milk; spread over crust. Top with COOL WHIP, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge. Refrigerate 4 hours. Meanwhile, break nut mixture into smaller pieces; store in airtight container until ready to use.
• Run knife around tart to loosen from rim of pan just before serving; remove rim. Sprinkle nut mixture over tart. Microwave caramels and water in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until caramels are melted, stirring after 45 sec. Drizzle over tart.

PUMPKIN-CARAMEL TART WITH TOASTED-HAZELNUT CRUST

Steps:

• Crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8-10 minutes; let cool. Using a kitchen towel, rub hazelnuts together to remove most of the skins (don't worry about some stubborn bits remaining).
• Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup hazelnuts in a food processor until the consistency of coarse meal. Reserve remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts for filling. Add butter to dry ingredients and pulse until there are only a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle 3 Tbsp. ice water over and mix, adding another splash or so of water if needed, just to bring dough together.
• Using your fingers, press dough evenly 1 1/2"-2" up the sides and then into the bottom of pan; compact and smooth with a flat, straight-sided measuring cup or glass. Chill 20 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden but not totally baked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
• Filling and assembly:
• Meanwhile, bring cream of tartar, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to mediumhigh and cook, swirling pan occasionally (do not stir), until caramel is a deep amber color, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisking constantly, carefully add cream (mixture will be extremely hot and will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Let caramel cool slightly in pot.
• Whisk pumpkin purée, brown sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add caramel and eggs, whisking until well blended. Scrape filling into prepared crust.
• Bake tart, rotating halfway through, until filling is set around edges and center barely jiggles, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved 1/2 cup hazelnuts and cook in a small skillet over medium heat with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. water, stirring constantly, until sugar caramelizes and evenly coats hazelnuts. Transfer caramelized hazelnuts to a sheet of parchment paper and let cool completely. Coarsely chop. Scatter caramelized hazelnuts over tart and serve with whipped cream.
• Do ahead
• Tart (without nuts) can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Hazelnuts can be caramelized 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.