Pastry Chef Elizabeth Belkind of Grace – Los Angeles, CA
Adapted by StarChefs.com
November 2006

Yield: 15 Servings

Ingredients:

Tart crust:
• 4¼ cups graham crackers, finely ground
• 6 Tablespoons brown butter
• 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  
  Honey-Braised Pumpkin Custard:
• 4 ounces brown butter
• 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
• 1 ½ Red Kurri squash, cubed
• 1 ½ Tahitian squash, cubed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 Tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 18 egg yolks
• 1½ cups heavy cream.
  
  Marshmallow Topping:
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

For the Tart Crust:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Measure out about 2 ½ cups of mixture for each false-bottomed, ten-inch fluted tart mold. With the palms of your hands, press the crumbs into the mold to form a level bottom. Gently work the crumbs up the sides of the mold and press them gently together to create even edges for the crust. Bake for 7 minutes and cool completely before filling.

For the Honey-Braised Pumpkin Custard:
In a large saucepan, warm the brown butter. Add the vanilla beans and pulp. Add both cubed squash and cook until the edges are soft, stirring frequently. Add the cream, condensed milk, honey and salt and simmer until the squash is completely tender. Remove the vanilla beans and process the squash in a food processor. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. While whisking, add the squash mixture and second measurement of cream. Pass through a chinois and set aside until ready to use.

For the Marshmallow Topping:
Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and heat until syrup reaches 240ºF. While sugar is heating, whisk egg whites until foamy in a mixer. As sugar temperature rises, add the salt and cream of tartar to the egg whites and continue to whisk on high speed until whites are uniformly thick and glossy. When the syrup reaches 240ºF, drizzle it into the bowl of the mixer with the whisk running on high speed. When the whites quadruple in volume and become thick, shiny and elastic, turn the speed down to medium and continue mixing until the bowl of the mixer is just warm to the touch.

To Assemble and Serve:
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place the baked tart crust on a baking sheet and pour custard to the brim. Carefully place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 6-10 minutes or until the custard is just set but not brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Once cool, use a spoon to drop mounds of meringue on to the baked tart. Shape the mounds decoratively by pulling and forming peaks. Caramelize the meringue with a blow torch and serve immediately.