The Chef
Dan Barber Blue Hill

Servings
Serves 8

Ingredients
Dough:
2 1⁄3 cups pastry flour, plus additional for rolling (all-purpose can be substituted)
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, chilled, cubed
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Filling:
8 tart plums, quartered and pitted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups pumpkin purée (preferably fresh)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of ground white pepper
4 eggs, lightly beaten
11⁄2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons bourbon

Cooking Instructions
Combine the flour and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter, and process until it resembles sand.

Whisk together the yolks and 1 tablespoon cream in a small bowl. Gradually add this to the flour mixture, processing until the dough comes together. (Add another tablespoon of cream if a ball doesn’t form.) Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and press into a 5-inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1⁄8 inch, and use it to line a 12-inch tart pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Line dough with parchment paper and fill with weights. Bake 15 minutes, then remove the paper and bake a further 10 minutes. Remove, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Place the plums, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. (If the plums are sweet, add extra lemon juice.) Cook until plums are soft. Set aside to cool.

Combine the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, cream, and bourbon.

Spread the plum mixture in a thin layer to cover the bottom of the tart shell. Fill the tart shell with the pumpkin mixture. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filling is just firm to the touch.

Photograph by Hans Gissinger