Shortbread Pumpkin Cream Tarts With Sweet Whipped Cream & Marzipan

We can’t wait to make these pumpkin cream tarts!

This shortbread tart is a showstopper. A melt-in-your-mouth crust, layered with perfectly smooth pastry cream—and with the right technique and teacher, you can pull it off at home!

Baker Khara Westergard shared her recipe with us.

Khara found these pastries on a trip to Norway; named a ‘potet’ after it’s potato-like size. This dessert is beautifully layered with shortbread crust, pastry cream, sweetened whipped cream, and a fresh sheet of marzipan.

Fill the tart with your choice of pastry cream. For a festive flavor, Khara chose pumpkin pastry cream to fill. For a vanilla-flavored filling, use Khara’s recipe from our recipe box.

Shortbread Pumpkin Cream Tarts

By Khara Westergard

“Originally found on my trip to Norway, this was named a ‘potet’ because it’s small like a potato. In Norway it was filled with a vanilla pastry cream, but we’re taking a seasonal spin and using an easy pumpkin cream here. Marzipan is the original way to cover these cute treats, but you can sub it for my simple marshmallow dough if you can’t do nuts. Or, go topping free & just end with the whipped cream. Layer this dessert in order of these listed simple recipes for the complete experience.” -Khara

Shortbread Tart Crust

Makes enough for 8 homemade muffin sized tarts.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 oz. (1 C. Fluffed / 127 g) “00” Flour or All-purpose Flour
• 1 oz. (1/4 C. Fluffed / 28g) Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 4 oz. (1 stick or 113 g) Unsalted Butter – melted
• 3/4 tsp. Vanilla

METHOD

1. Whisk flour, powdered sugar, & salt together (sift if too lumpy). Add vanilla to the melted butter & pour over flour mixture. Stir together until it makes a dough. Don’t over mix.
2. Scoop or portion dough into eight muffin tins well greased/sprayed. Use a spoon or fingers to press dough around tin to shape tart cups. Smooth or cut top edges for aesthetics.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F until lightly browned, 15 minutes give or take. Less for mini muffin tin tarts. Allow to cool before trying to remove from tins. Use a toothpick to slide down side of tart & tin to remove.

Pumpkin Pastry Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe WITHOUT crust – fully baked & cooled (with optional spices below if you like more spice)
• 1/4 tsp. Additional Cinnamon – optional
• 1/2 tsp. Allspice – optional
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg – optional
• 1 oz. (2Tbsp.) Additional Sugar – optional & only if using optional spices
• 8 oz. Heavy whipping cream (lower than 36% or under 5g fat is fine here)
• 1 oz. (1/4 C. Fluffed) Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp. Clear Vanilla

METHOD

1. Whip cooked & cooled pie in a bowl until fully loosened. Set aside.
2. Whip remaining ingredients until stiff peaks are achieved. Fold a scoop of stiffened whipped cream into the pumpkin pie. Add another scoop and fold again. Add remaining whipped cream and fold together. Store well covered in refrigerator. Filling will not deflate.

Cream Cheese Stabilized Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz. (113 g.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese (1/2 package)
• 2 Tbsp. (1 oz/28g) Heavy Cream
• 16 oz. (2 C./454g) Heavy Cream
• 6 – 8 oz. (1 1/2 – 2 C./170-227g) Powdered Sugar*
• 3 – 4 tsp. McCormick’s Clear Vanilla*

METHOD 

1. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until softened. Add 2 Tbsp heavy cream and beat again to start thinning. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl whip remaining ingredients until stiff peaks form. Add a scoop into the cream cheese and beat until fully combined. Repeat with one more scoop. Then beat in remaining whipped cream 1/2 at a time until all is incorporated.
3. Store well covered in refrigerator.

*Choose your sweetness level and add vanilla accordingly. (3 tsp. Vanilla for 6 oz. Powdered sugar – 4 tsp. Vanilla for 8 oz. Powdered Sugar) I suggest less sugar for a marshmallow dough topper, and more if using marzipan or not using a topper.

Notes

Higher fat whipping cream is most stable for this. Above 36% will do, but 40% is better. With regular whipping cream that is below 36% (5 g. Fat), you should use this recipe immediately after whipping it. However, if you must wait, just rewhip and all is well again. It will hold the shape you give it when piped immediately. But if scooped or stirred later, you interrupt its structure, and you’ll need to strengthen it with a new whipping.

Marzipan

Makes enough to cover 6-8 homemade muffin sized tarts.

INGREDIENTS

• 7 oz. (100 g.) Super Fine Almond Flour or Fine ground blanched almonds
• 7 oz. (100 g.) Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Water
• 1/4 tsp. Almond Emulsion or Extract
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (clear for whiter dough)

METHOD

1. Whisk together the Almond flour & powdered sugar. Or for a smoother dough, process together in a food processor or blender.
2. Add flavor extracts to the water and pour over the flour & sugar. Add food coloring now if wanted. Stir dough together until ready to knead by hand. Knead just until smooth. More will release almond oils. Chill, well covered, if too oily, & try again to use the dough. Optionally you can use light dustings of powdered sugar to help with stickiness.
3. Use powdered sugar to dust your work surface & top of dough when rolling out. Roll as thin as you can with with & use a very large circle cutter & give it an extra roll out after cutting if your cutter isn’t large enough. Always keep marzipan dough covered from air when not working with it to avoid drying out. Rub with butter, oil, or water if it needs a little rehydration. But, kneading again can release enough of the almond oils to act rehydrated.

Or, go for a marshmallow dough:

Marshmallow Dough

Fondant like in purpose – but better in taste. To be used in place of Marzipan, not in addition to.

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. Mini Marshmallows (or big, cut up)
• 1 t. Clear Vanilla
• 1/4 C. Hot Water
• 2 lbs + of Powdered Sugar (you’ll need extra for working with later)

METHOD 

1. Microwave marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl. 45-60 seconds.
2. Pour in hot water & vanilla. Stir until all is melted. Reheat in 10 second increments if thorough mixing does not smooth out all marshmallows.
3. Add 2 lbs of powdered sugar 1/2 lb. at a time stirring well.
4. Knead the dough a bit. Add small amounts of powdered sugar if too sticky. Try to pick all the dough up out of the bowl. Generously cover the bowl bottom in powdered sugar. Replace dough.
5. Knead the dough until it seems smooth. Wrap in plastic food wrap to chill for a bit.
6. Roll out on a surface sprinkled with generous powdered sugar. Use more powdered sugar if too sticky. Oil or butter can help rehydrate the surface a of dough that is dried out prematurely while working. Keep well covered to avoid drying out.
7. Store well wrapped in the refrigerator. For longer storage, store well wrapped in the freezer. Allow to sit at room temperature until softened again.

Find more from Khara on Instagram, @balsamicbaker.