COCONUT PUMPKIN TART

 Our Thanksgiving is very late this year - November 28th but maybe our Canadian friends who already celebrated will put up with "one more Coconut Pumpkin Tart!

Recently I was looking through some Victoria Magazines and saw a wonderful recipe in the September/October 2008 issue for a Coconut Pumpkin Tart.  Don't you just love the smell of pumpkin and spices in the kitchen this time of year?

Last night after work I baked this tart.  Actually, I made the dough the night before to save time so it would go together quickly!  

For the tart shell you will need:

2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup toasted coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp tsp salt divided, 5 Tb cold butter and 1/3 cup ice-cold water.

For the filling you will need: 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 Tb cornstarch, 1 Tsp ground ginger, 1 Tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 Tsp ground cloves, 1 1/2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, beaten, 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk. (Actually I thought about adding 3/4 cup fresh coconut to this as a tweak but forgot to do that)

Here are their instructions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, coconut, sugar,1/4 Tsp salt.  Cut the butter into cubes and add to the flour mixture; pulse until mixture is crumbly, about 20 seconds.  
2.  Gradually add the water in a slow, steady stream, until mix forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape - wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8 thickness. Place in a 9" fluted tart pan, pressing up the sides.
4.  Line dough with parchment paper; fill with pie weights and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove pie weights and parchment and bake an additional 4 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

(I don't have a food processor - I burned mine up and haven't replaced it so I  just did the above in a bowl by hand. I used rice on top of the parchment paper to weight it down)

5. In a large bowl, combine the remaining salt, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin puree and eggs.  
Gradually stir in the evaporated milk and pour into prepared crust.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat now to 350 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes or until the center of the tart does not move.

I definitely would have added the coconut to the filling if I had remembered. (was not in original recipe)