Winter Squash Tart

Steps

1. Prepare the dough for the crust. I was making this tart at the same time as a bakewell tart and was lazy so doubled the crust from that recipe. It is a sweetened one. If you prefer a less sweet crust for this savory recipe, an alternative ingredient list has been provided. Combine flour, sugar (if using the sweet version), and salt. Add in cubed cold butter. Work together with your hands or a food processor until the mixture is a sandy consistency. Add in egg yolk and water (if using the sweet version), then work until a nice doughy consistency forms. Be careful not to overwork the dough!
2. Form the dough into a round disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hr or up to 3 days. I usually prepare this the night before I want to make the tart and let the dough chill overnight.
3. Prepare the filling ingredients! Peel the squash and cut off the stem and butt. Cut lengthwise.. carefully.. and in widthwise portions if necessary. Thinly slice the squash to create half-circle pieces. Peel the shallots, cut off the stems and butts, and slice lengthwise. Separate out into individual pieces. Grate the cheese. Grate as much cheese as your heart desires.
4. Prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and let sit at room temp for about 15 min or until it can be rolled out. Roll the dough out into a circle that just covers your tart pan. Press the edges into the sides and trim off a bit of the excess dough, leaving some extending from the edges. Cover the dough with parchment paper and fill (with uncooked rice, dry beans, pastry weights, etc) to keep the pastry dough in place. Blind bake at 400 F for 10-15 minutes or until the edges become slightly golden. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and parchment paper, then return to the oven for a quick ~ 5 min bake to dry out the bottom of the crust. Remove from the oven and let cool. Excess pastry crust edges can be trimmed off at this stage and eaten.
5. Reduce oven temp to 350 F.
6. Assemble your tart! Starting from the outermost edge and working towards the center, layer your squash slices, shallots, cheese, and fresh chopped sage. Keep making concentric circles until the tart is filled.
7. Bake at 350 F for 60-90 minutes or until golden brown. If the edges start to brown, you can cover the tart with a tin foil hat while it continues to cook.
8. Prepare the butter topping! Cook butter with fresh chopped thyme in a pan until the butter has browned.
9. Remove the cooked tart from the oven, top with thyme-infused brown butter, and enjoy :)))