Description
A delicious savory tart combining crispy bacon, smooth pumpkin puree, and a hint of sweetness from maple syrup, all baked on flaky puff pastry. Perfect for a cozy meal or elegant appetizer, this Bacon Tart with Pumpkin and Maple offers a delightful balance of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet store-bought frozen puff pastry, thawed (25 cm x 25 cm / 10″ x 10″)
Bacon and Maple
- 8 slices streaky bacon
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
Pumpkin Filling
- 7 oz / 200 g butternut or Jap pumpkin, peeled and roughly diced into 1.5 cm / 0.5″ cubes
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil (only if roasting the pumpkin)
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Additional
- Oil spray (olive oil spray recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) to prepare for baking the tart.
- Prepare Baking Tray: Spray a baking tray with olive oil or grease it lightly with butter or oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook Pumpkin: Cook the diced pumpkin either by roasting with olive oil in the oven or microwaving until tender. Once cooked, transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly, then add butter, salt, and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth and set aside.
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Cut the puff pastry sheet in half and place one piece directly on top of the other, layering them. Position the double-layered pastry on the prepared baking tray.
- Pre-Bake Puff Pastry: Cover the pastry with a sheet of baking (parchment) paper without weighing it down and bake for 15 minutes until puffed and lightly golden.
- Trim Bacon: While the pastry bakes, trim the bacon slices so they are about 1.5 cm (1/2″) wider than the tart’s width to ensure full coverage.
- Remove Paper: Take the pastry from the oven and carefully discard the baking paper.
- Spread Pumpkin: Quickly spread the mashed pumpkin evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1 cm (1/4″) border around the edges.
- Arrange Bacon: Lay the bacon slices overlapping each other on top of the pumpkin layer, covering the entire tart surface.
- Bake Tart: Return the tart to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the bacon is deep golden and the pastry is cooked through.
- Brush Maple Syrup: Remove the tart from the oven and brush half of the maple syrup over the bacon and the exposed pastry border.
- Final Bake: Place the tart back into the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes until the bacon and pastry achieve a deep, dark golden brown color.
- Finish with Maple Syrup: Remove from oven and brush the remaining maple syrup over the tart. Optionally season with pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve the tart warm, ideally with a light side salad for a balanced meal.
- Storage: This tart reheats well in the oven and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, although it is best enjoyed fresh.
Notes
- Note 1: Use streaky bacon for a nice balance of fat and flavor.
- Note 2: Maple syrup adds sweetness and a beautiful glaze to the bacon and pastry.
- Note 3: Cutting the puff pastry in half and layering creates extra flakiness and height in the tart.
- Note 4: Trimming the bacon slightly wider ensures full coverage and a neat appearance.
- Note 5: The final bake time can be adjusted slightly based on how deep and dark you prefer the bacon and pastry.
