A press-in crust, short bake time, and do-ahead option liberate you (and your oven) on Thanksgiving Day.
Ingredients
8 Servings
Crust
1¼
1
2
¾
½
Filling and Assembly
1¼
1
1
2
1
1½
¾
¾
3
Special Equipment
Preparation
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Crust
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. 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).
Step 2
Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and ¾ cup hazelnuts in a food processor until the consistency of coarse meal. Reserve remaining ½ cup hazelnuts for filling. Add butter to dry ingredients and pulse until there are only a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Step 3
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.
Step 4
Using your fingers, press dough evenly 1½–2″ 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.
Step 5
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
Step 6
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 medium-high 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.
Step 7
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.
Step 8
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.
Step 9
Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved ½ cup hazelnuts and cook in a small skillet over medium heat with remaining ¼ 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.
Step 10
Scatter caramelized hazelnuts over tart and serve with whipped cream.
Step 11
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.