This year our Thanksgiving was pretty laid back.

We stayed home, just the four of us.

So even though I enjoy cooking for a crowd, it was nice to not have any of that pressure.

And because of that, I decided to take a few liberties with a couple of recipes.

The kitchen was just a little quieter, definitely less crowded, and a bit more relaxed.

With the kids and Eric busy decorating the Christmas Tree and breaking out the decor for the next holiday to come around, I decided to experiment a bit.

I took my very favorite Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping and switched it up a bit.

At first I was just going to bake it as a tart instead of pie, but at the last minute I decided to add some fresh cranberries to the topping.

That was a smart move!

I increased the cinnamon and a couple other spices and added some cardamom too.

I like this pie (or tart) even better than before, which I didn’t think was possible.

Eric and I both agreed that not only is this version even tastier, but it’s also beautifully festive.

As trite as it may sound, this tart was, in a word, perfection.

It barely lasted a full 24 hours in our home.

And nothing stopped me from eating a slice for breakfast the next day.

Served with a dollop of vanilla cinnamon whipped cream, I don’t know how it could get any better.

It’s simple to make the vanilla cinnamon whipped cream: I just made whipped cream like usual, adding some vanilla extract and a few dashes of cinnamon.

Just because Thanksgiving is over doesn’t mean baking with pumpkin has to be over too!

This is certainly a pie I wouldn’t mind having another slice of before winter is over…and we have a ways before that happens.

What pumpkin recipes will you still be making even though Thanksgiving is over?

Do you have year-round favorites?

Don’t forget to head over to the Recipe Exchange: Chocolate Gingerbread post to vote for your favorite chocolate recipe. Didn’t get to submit a chocolate recipe last week? This Wednesday’s theme is also chocolate!

Looking for more Pumpkin Recipes?

Be sure to check out these 25 Pumpkin Recipes to Try this Fall – So, if like me, you have a pumpkin hoarding problem you now have a very good excuse. I’ve just shared my favorite Pumpkin Recipes for you to try this fall.

Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Tart

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

I took my favorite pumpkin pie filling, then added cranberries to the pecan topping. The result is this super festive cranberry pecan pumpkin tart.

Print

Ingredients

For the Pie or Tart:

• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 3 slightly beaten eggs
• 1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 single pie or tart crust

For the Cranberry Pecan Topping:

• 4 ounces fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold butter

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, zest, salt, and all of the spices (nutmeg through cardamom). In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, half-and-half or cream, and vanilla.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and lightly beat by hand until well combined. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a pastry-lined tart plate. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the brown sugar, flour, and salt, and butter to a small food processor and chop until it resembles a coarse mixture. Stir in the chopped cranberries and pecans.
4. Remove tart from the oven and sprinkle the cranberry mixture on top. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 10-20 minutes, or until the tart is set, topping is golden and bubbly, and the crust is golden.
5. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Notes

TIP: It's easier to remove the first slice of pie from the plate if you cut the first piece and then cut the second before removing the first.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 378Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 91mgSodium 311mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 3gSugar 38gProtein 5g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

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