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Pumpkin Perfection

Whether you're celebrating Halloween on not, these hearty recipes are exactly what you need to tuck into this Fall

Pumpkin Tart
Prep time: 1 h 30 mins
Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients
For the tart pastry:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 pound butter, softened
¼ cup white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups solid packed pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
½ cup marshmallow cream

Topping:
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup finely chopped pecans, divided

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Make the pastry dough by creaming together 12 ounces of cream cheese with the butter and sugar until thoroughly blended. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, until the dough is workable. Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces, roll into balls, and refrigerate.
To make the filling, mash 12 ounces of cream cheese with brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until smooth and well combined; beat in eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Mix in the pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract until the filling is smooth.
Cut each dough ball in half, and cut each half into 12 pieces (96 total pieces). Working in batches, press each small piece of dough into the bottom and up the sides of mini muffin cups. Fill the little crusts almost to the top with the pumpkin filling. You can also make larger tarts, if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the crusts are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.
For the frosting, mash the butter, shortening, and cream cheese together in a bowl until thoroughly combined, and mix in the' sugar and marshmallow creme until smooth and creamy. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled tarts. Sprinkle each tart with a few chopped pecans. Refrigerate until serving.

Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Edible soil
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients
For the pumpkin panna cotta:
250 gm pumpkin, diced        
50 gm spring onion, roughly chopped
20 gm red chilli, roughly chopped    5 gm garlic, roughly chopped        
25 gm lemongrass, roughly chopped     
10 gm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
90 gm carrots, diced     
250 gm vegetable stock
50 gm coconut cream
2.5 gm gelatin leaf     

For the vegetable garnish
10 gm baby carrots                                                    
10 gm baby radish                                                  
10 gm asparagus                                                
2 gm maldon salt                                                
5 gm chervil
15 gm olive oil
5 ml white vinegar             

For the edible soil
100 gm sourdough, toasted
3gm Dijon mustard
2gm maldon salt  
                                            
Method             
Gently cook the ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chilli, spring onion and carrots. Add the pumpkin and vegetable stock, bring to boil, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the coconut cream last of all.
Process the soup in a blender until smooth. Melt the gelatin leaf and add to the soup.
Leave to cool in the fridge.
For the garnishing, blanch the vegetables for two minutes in salted boiling water and peel. Dress with olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
For the edible soil, make crumbs out of the sourdough and dress with mustard and salt. Once the panna cotta cools, set the garnishing on one side with the edible soil.


Pumpkin-stuffed Handmade Ravioli
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 60 mins
Cooking time: 6 mins

Ingredients
For the pasta dough
550 gm pasta flour
6 eggs yolks            
4 whole eggs               
Pinch of salt

For the fillings
100 gm pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped      
80 Parmesan cheese, grated                                 
5 gm fresh sage                      
3 gm salt
1 gm black pepper                             
For the nuts butter sauce
50 gm salted butter
10 gm roasted pine nuts                     
10 gm pumpkin, diced   
10 gm fresh fava beans

For the garnishing
20 gm cherry tomatoes                                               
10 gm roasted pine nuts
5 gm Parmesan cheese, shaved

Method
For the pasta dough, mix all the ingredients in a food processor until it forms a firm consistency. Wrap in foil and let rest in the fridge for one hour before use.
For the filling, oven roast the pumpkin. Remove from the oven and, with a fork, crush the pumpkin. Mix with parmesan cheese and chopped sage. Season with salt and black pepper.
Clear and clean off a large work surface and dust it with flour. Take the dough out of the fridge, shape into a ball, and place on your work surface. Knead for at least 10 minutes or until it become elastic.
Dust a rolling pin with flour, roll out the dough until is about 1/3 cm thick.
With a cookie cutter or upside down water glass, cut out circles in the dough. Place a tablespoon of the ravioli filling in middle of the dough. Fill a small bowl with water, dip your fingers in, and moisten the outer edge of the dough circle.
Cover one circle over another and pinch the edges together to seal the edges of the ravioli (you can also use a fork to do this). Make sure to press firmly and go all the way around.
Dust the finished ravioli with flour to keep them from sticking together.
To cook, fill a large pot with water and bring to boil. Place the ravioli in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they float.
Take ravioli out using a large slotted spoon and place on warmed plates.
Meanwhile melt your butter in a large pan and gently cook the diced pumpkin, pine nuts and fava beans. Add the ravioli to the sauce and let the ravioli get a golden color from the butter.
Place in a large serving bowl and garnish with cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and cheese.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Cake
Prep Time: 20mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 ¼ cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup heavy cream
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

For the frosting
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup confectioner's sugar
½ cup dark chocolate

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup butter, sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Mix in the heavy cream and pumpkin. Stir into the flour mixture until blended. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan over a wire rack, then invert cake onto a serving plate.
For the frosting, place the brown sugar, butter, cream and chocolate in a medium saucepan. Bring to a medium heat while stirring to blend until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, and drizzle over the cake immediately.