Directions

• For the walnut shortcrust
• Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine together the butter and brown sugar sugar and mix with a spatula until well incorporated. Add the flour, salt, and only half of the walnuts and mix with your hands until the dough holds together.
• Press the dough along the bottom and sides of the tart pan and freeze for at least 15 minutes to set.  Line the dough with parchment and fill with rice/beans/pie weights to weigh down and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the parchment and rice and bake for 15/20 minutes more or until baked through.  Allow to cool completely.
• For the pumpkin spice caramel
• Divide the remaining chopped walnuts among the baked tart shells.  Set aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, Lyles’ syrup or corn syrup, salt and spices.  Stir over low heat until the sugar melts.  Attach a sugar thermometer and cook until the mixture registered 248ºF on the thermometer.
• Take the caramel from the heat and stir in the pumpkin.  Stir over low heat and cook until the caramel mixture reads between 238ºF and 240ºF.  Take from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour onto the cooled tart shell, and allow to cool.
• For the pumpkin ganache
• Combine the butter, Lyle’s syrup or corn syrup, cream, pumpkin puree and salt in a sauce pan.  Stir to combine and allow to come to a simmer.  Add the white chocolate and shimmy the pan so that the cream mixture covers the chocolate.  Allow to sit 2 minutes to melt the chocolate.  Whisk the mixture to combine and refrigerate until cool, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Mix for a few seconds to thicken the ganache.  Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a medium plain tip.  Pipe the ganache over the set caramel.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar.