📋 Instructions

1. 1Roast the pumpkin — Heat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Toss the pumpkin chunks on a tray and roast 25 minutes until a knife slides in with no resistance (dry heat removes water before it reaches the crust).
2. 2Mash and drain — Mash the roasted pumpkin and press it through a sieve for 5 minutes (draining now prevents a soggy base). Stop when no liquid drips from the spoon.
3. 3Rub in the butter — Combine flour and salt, add the cold cubed butter and rub until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized lumps (visible butter makes flakes).
4. 4Bring the dough together — Add ice water one tablespoon at a time and press the dough into a ball (it should hold when squeezed, not crumble).
5. 5Chill the dough — Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it and chill 30 minutes (resting relaxes the gluten so the crust will not shrink).
6. 6Blind bake the shell — Roll the dough to 3 mm, line a 23 cm tart tin, prick the base and line with parchment and weights. Bake at 190 C (375 F) for 15 minutes, then 8 minutes uncovered until pale gold (the surface should look dry and matte).
7. 7Mix the filling — Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, cream, cinnamon and cornstarch until smooth (a lump-free mix sets evenly). The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.
8. 8Fill and bake — Pour the filling into the shell and bake at 175 C (350 F) for 30 to 35 minutes (a low oven sets the custard without cracking it). It is done when the edges are set and the center reads 85 C (185 F) on a thermometer.
9. 9Cool and slice — Cool the tart in the tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack (gradual cooling stops the surface cracking). Slice when fully cool.