Mini pays de calabaza

Ingredientes

• 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Up to 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) – or make your own
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preparación

1. 1

   Cut butter into slices and lay out on a plate. Place the plate in the freezer for ten minutes.

2. 2

   In a food processor, place flour, salt and sugar and pulse to combine.

3. 3

   Place butter pieces in by dropping around the flour so each piece is covered in flour without sticking to each other. Pulse until the butter is pea sized.

4. 4

   Add half the water and pulse a few times. Then add up to the full amount until the dough starts to come together but is still crumbly. Pour out onto an un-floured counter and form into a disc. You may need to work it a bit to get all of the dry pieces into the dough but do not over work the dough.

5. 5

   Wrap the disc in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.

6. 6

   While the dough is chilling, in a medium bowl, place canned pumpkin, softened cream cheese, both sugars, whole egg, egg yolks and vanilla and with a firm whisk, mix to combine.

7. 7

   In a small bowl, mix flour, spice and pepper and add to the pumpkin mixture, again whisking to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

8. 8

   After the dough sits in the refrigerator for an hour, flour your counter and roll the dough out to 1/8th inch thick. (At least 14”X18”).

9. 9

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

10. 10

    Using a 4” round cutter, cut out 12 circles. Do not discard extra dough. Press each circle into a non-stick 12-cup cupcake pan up to the edge of each cup, pressing down and up the sides.

11. 11

    Divide the filling between the 12 prepared cups.

12. 12

    If decorating for Halloween, cut 5 strips of flattened dough into ½ inch wide strips, six inches long. Using a knife or bench scraper, make back and forth angle cuts down four of the strips making triangles for the eyes and nose. Place these on each filled cup in the design of a jack-o-lantern. The fifth strip will be used for the stem so set that aside for now. If not decorating for Halloween, eliminate this and the stem step.

13. 13

    Mix the egg with the water with a fork and using a brush, slightly brush each triangle face piece and the outer edge of dough on each cup with the egg wash.

14. 14

    In a small cup, mix sugar with the spice and sprinkle over each of the eyes and nose pieces.

15. 15

    Finally take the last strip and cut it into 12 stems and place at the top of each cup, overlapping the edge and onto the filling off to a slight angle like a stem. Do not brush these. You want them to bake up a different shade than the eyes and nose pieces.

16. 16

    Bake for 20 minutes and remove to a cooling rack for five minutes. After five minutes, remove each one to the rack to cool further.