Whit and I made this Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart as a trial run for the holidays and it was divine! It was a little more involved than many of our dessert recipes, but worth the effort. I suggested we make it again at Thanksgiving and he suggested we make it again “long before Thanksgiving”. At any rate, if you’re looking for a delicious pumpkin pie alternative, give this one a whirl.

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

Source: Ina Garten Family Style

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 crackers)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 extra-large egg yolks
• 1 package (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
• 1 ripe banana, finely mashed
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar

For the decoration:

• 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Orange zest, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.
3. For the filling, heat the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot, about 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them, then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. You don’t want the eggs to scramble. Remove from the heat.
4. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.
5. Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
6. For the decoration, whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle, if desired, with orange zest. Serve chilled.

Here are some of my other favorites from this cookbook:

• Raspberry Cheesecake
• Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
• Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

I also took the time to make Ina’s homemade chicken stock and chicken noodle soup recipe this week. At the risk of being attacked, I’m going to say we all agreed it just wasn’t worth the effort or cost to make the stock. And, if I’m being honest, the congealed stock the next day almost made me abandon the whole project.

We will be enjoying our old stand-by for the rest of eternity…

Sunday Supper {Chicken Noodle Soup 3 Ways}

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