Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Tart
Tired of the same old pumpkin pie, why not give my Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Tart a try.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Tart
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 1/4 Cups Ground Gingersnap or Graham Cracker Cookies or 2 Cups of Gingersnaps or Graham Crackers and ¼ Cup of ground pecans
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 70 Grams Melted Butter 5 Tablespoons
Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Filling:
- 114 Grams Good Quality White Chocolate, Not White Chocolate Chips 4 Ounces
- 2/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
- 90 ml Heavy Cream 6 Tablespoons
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 3 Tablespoons of Sugar
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 120 ml Heavy Cream
Meringue Topping:
- 3 Egg Whites
- 150 Grams Granulated Sugar ¾ Cup
- 1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- Toasted Pecans for garnish
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Mix the ground cookies and pecans (if using) together with the sugar. Pour in the melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Press the mixture into the tart pan so that it evenly covers the bottom and sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Mousse Filling:
- Melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and gently mix to combine. Set aside to cool.
- Make sure that your puree is at room tempertaure. (If it is cold from the fridge it will cause the white chocolate to firm up and you will not have a smooth mixture.)
- In a small sauce pan whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and ginger until smooth. Gradually whisk in the 6 tablespoons of cream.
- Place the pan over medium low heat and stir with a spatula, occassionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the mixture thickens.
- You can also place the mixture in a bowl over a double boiler and heat until thickened. (This will take much longer to thicken the mixture, but it will prevent the mixture from burning)
- Take the thickened egg/cream mixture and pass it through a wire mesh strainer into the pumpkin/white chocolate. Mix with a spatula until combined
- Whip the heavy cream to between medium and stiff peaks.
- Make sure that the pumpkin mixture is cool to the touch then fold in the whipped cream. (If the pumpkin mixture is still warm, place in the fridge for a few minutes until it is cool to the touch)
- Pour the mouse into the prepared crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Place in the refrigerator and let set overnight.
Swiss Meringue Topping Method:
- Whisk egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer over simmering water until the egg-white mixture reaches a temperature of 160°F (71°C) and sugar is dissolved.
- Place the bowl on the mixer and whip with the wire whisk attachment on high speed until the mixture is glossy and the bowl is cool to the touch. This will take about 5-6 minutes.
French Meringue Topping Method:
- Place the egg white, slat and cream of tartar in a bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat on medium speen until foamy.
- Turn up the speen to high and very gradually add the sugar until you have stiff glossy peaks. Don't over whip!!!
Decorating:
- You can dollop the meringue on top of the mousse or you can place it in a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe a decorative design.
- When complete, toast with a kitchen torch and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans.
- Enjoy!
