Ingredients

Start to finish 4 hours, 1 hour 45 minutes active

Tart Dough:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, pulse together flour, pecans, brown sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and vanilla and process until just combined.
Shape the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). Set the dough in a removable bottom tart pan and pierce the bottom of the tart with a fork at 1 inch intervals. Freeze for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cover dough with parchment paper cut slightly larger than the pan, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Lift parchment and weights out and continue to bake until golden brown, about another 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then fill with compote.
Makes 8 servings (one 10-inch tart)

Citrus Fig Compote:
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Simmer over a low heat until the figs are soft and the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Puree the compote with a blender or food processor. Allow to cool. Spread filling in pre-baked tart shell and set aside.
Makes enough compote to fill one 10-inch tart shell.

Pumpkin Chiffon mousse:
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin (one package)
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

In a small cup or bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice and allow to rehydrate for 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine egg yolks, half-and-half, pumpkin, spices and salt. Cook, about eight minutes. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in gelatin to dissolve. Pour mixture into large mixing bowl to cool.
When pumpkin mixture is cool, about 10 minutes, combine the egg whites and brown sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a double boiler and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and beat using a mixer with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until whites resemble a light and fluffy meringue.
In three batches, gently fold the meringue into the cooled pumpkin mixture. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the fig filling. Refrigerate until set, about 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, garnish with Florentine cookies (recipe follows).
Makes enough compote to fill one 10-inch tart shell.

Pecan Florentine Cookies:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine
2 1/2 tablespoons cake flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, sugar and butter. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, then add nuts and flour, stirring to combine. Using a teaspoon measure, drop batter by the spoonful on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart.

Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes, keeping a careful eye on the cooking during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet until set but still warm, about 3 minutes. Gently lift cookies with a spatula and drape them over a 2 inch dowel or paper towel tube. Set aside to cool. Cookies can also be left flat.

Makes 12 cookies.