Butternut Custard Tarts

Instructions

1. Prepare the butternut squash
   Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized. Let cool, then puree in a food processor until completely smooth.
2. Make the pastry dough
   In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg and ice water, pulsing just until the dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the tart shells
   Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut circles slightly larger than your tart pans. Gently press the dough into the tart pans, trimming excess. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then blind bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes with pie weights, then 5 minutes without weights. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
4. Make the custard filling
   In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of the butternut squash puree, eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be velvety and free of lumps.
5. Fill and bake the tarts
   Pour the custard filling into the par-baked tart shells, filling each about 3/4 full. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until the custard is just set but still has a slight wobble in the center.
6. Cool and serve
   Remove tarts from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. The custard will continue to set as it cools. For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon if desired.