pumpkin-banana mousse tart

happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! family, cooking, eating, food-induced-comas, cheesy family games...love it all!

i love this ina garten twist on traditional pumpkin pie. there are layers of flavors and a delicious crust that beats regular pumpkin pie :) who would've thought pumpkin and banana go so well together?! i think i need to try my hand at a pumpkin-banana BREAD!

although the components may seem cumbersome, TRUST ME--it's worth doing it all from scratch. the payoff is high!

the barefoot contessa loves sugar more than i do, so i've modified some of the measurements, methods, and ingredients (yuck to orange zest):

ingredients:

(crust)

- 14 graham crackers (finely ground in a food processor)

- 0- 1/5 cup white sugar

- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1 stick unsalted butter (melted)

(filling)

- 1/2 cup half-and-half

- 1 can pure pumpkin puree (15 oz)

- 0 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark), lightly packed

- 3/4 tsp kosher salt

- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 3 large egg yolks

- 2 tsps unflavored gelatin

- 1 ripe banana, finely mashed (the riper, the stronger the taste; so pick based on your level of love for bananas)

- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream

method:

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a bowl and mix well.

2. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan; press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake 10 minutes, 350 degrees and then let cool. (for a pretty presentation, use a springform pan.

3. For the filling, combine the half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until hot (double boiler), about 5 minutes. Mix well.

4. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl, stir some of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them (so they don't scramble), then pour the egg-pumpkin mixture back into the double boiler and stir well.

5. 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.

6. In a separate bowl, dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin and banana,to the pumpkin mixture double-boiler and mix well. Set aside to cool.

7. Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

8. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell.

9. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

10. Share and enjoy!

What did you bake this Thanksgiving?