Pumpkin & Peach Puff Pastry Tarts #CraftyOctober

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Welcome to Day 10 of Crafty October 2014 (check out 2013 and 2012 here) – a month of Halloween Ideas here on The Purple Pumpkin Blog!

Pumpkin and Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

I was looking in the store cupboard and spied that I had a can of pumpkin and a can of peaches, and so, together with some puff pastry I had in the fridge, I decided to experiment and make Pumpkin & Peach Puff Pastry Tarts.

Since this was an experiment, I don’t have exact quantities, because I tend to just cook things to taste or by intuition – not so great when wanting to share! However, since the canned pumpkin is cooked, you can season it to taste with sugar and spices, and the rest of the preparation is super easy!

First, unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut out two circles, about 15cm/6″ in diameter – I cut out around a bowl. Then, either by hand, or around a slightly smaller bowl score another circle to create the sides and base of the finished tart. Using a fork, prick holes in the middle, which will help to keep it flat, whilst the sides rise. I’m sure the weight of the ingredients which you’ll place in the center would do this too, but best to be sure!

Pumpkin and Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

I used a pumpkin pie spice blend that I bought from the USA to flavour my pumpkin. Whilst we can now buy canned pumpkin here in the UK, we don’t seemed to have cottoned on to this spice blend…but it’s easy enough as it is usually a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

For each tart I used about 4 tablespoons of pumpkin, which I seasoned to taste with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. I then spooned this mixture onto the pastry bases, and carefully pushing up to the edges where the sides will rise up, and added 3 peach slices on top – you could add more if you like, and even use fresh peaches. I brushed the pastry with a little milk, and popped the oven to bake for about 25 – 30 minutes. (I sprayed the baking trays with some oil spray to stop the pastry from sticking)

Pumpkin and Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

Once the tarts were cooked, I decided to add a bit of a crunchy topping using brown sugar and a cook’s blowtorch to caramelize it. Perfecto!

Pumpkin and Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

These went down well with my lot – the warming flavour of pumpkin spices and the sweet peaches with the crunchy sugar topping were, in my husband’s words “gorgeous”.

Just as I was baking these, the doorbell went and it was a delivery of some limited edition, Spiced Pumpkin Gourmet Yoghurt from The Collective to review, and this, I thought would be a perfect topping for my pumpkin and peach tarts!

Spiced Pumpkin Yoghurt
Pumpkin and Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

The yoghurt was thick and creamy and was perfect to dollop on top of these tarts. I love that it tasted so indulgent, yet is only 5% fat. It is also suitable for vegetarian and gluten-free diets and is full of live cultures. As I said, it’s a limited edition flavour, available throughout October 2014, and is priced around £2.39 for a 500g pot at Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, The Co-op, Ocado, Wholefoods, Booths and Nisa. I’m going to make sure to pick up another tub of it when we go shopping this weekend – it’s seriously lush!

Spiced Pumpkin Yoghurt

Pumpkin & Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

Makes 2 

Ingredients

  • 320g ready-rolled puff pastry
  • 200g canned pumpkin
  • pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, to taste
  • soft light brown sugar, to taste (and for creating topping, optional)
  • 6 slices canned or fresh peaches
  • milk for glazing

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6.
  2. Cut two circles from the pastry, approx 15cm/6″ in diameter and place onto a greased baking sheet.
  3. Score a smaller circle (approx 13-14cm/5″) inside the pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through. Prick this new area with a fork to prevent the pastry from rising.
  4. In a bowl, mix the canned pumpkin with some spices and sugar to taste – start off with a little amount, and add more if required – you can always add, but can’t take away!!
  5. Divide the pumpkin mixture between the two tarts and spread out evenly to the inner edges. Brush the pastry with a little milk.
  6. Lay the peaches on the top and sprinkle with a little more sugar if you wish. Place into the oven for 20 – 30 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden.
  7. If you wish to create a caramelized topping, sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar onto the peaches, and with a cook’s blowtorch, melt the sugar. You could also do this under a hot grill.
  8. Serve as they are or with a dollop of yoghurt or cream.

For more seasonal food, check out The Ultimate List of Autumn Recipes for the Fall Season! Right-click and open a new tab to read next.

Pumpkin and Peach Puff Pastry Tarts

Disclosure: I was sent the pot of yogurt to review. All thoughts are my own honest opinions.

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