Pumpkin Pie Eclair Cake

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in Canada. 

I'm a pretty lucky girl due to the fact I get to celebrate both Canadian and US Thanksgiving. Two proper turkey dinners in less than six weeks from each other? Giddy up. Throw another turkey into the mix at Christmastime and I've hit the poultry jackpot. Winner winner, turkey dinner.   

There are so many things I'm thankful for; so much in fact that my cup quite often runneth over. I'm thankful for my family, especially my amazing husband and two rock star babies. I'm thankful for friends. I'm thankful to live in this INCREDIBLE country. I'm thankful for my beautiful home. I'm thankful for the clothes on my back and the food in my belly. I'm so thankful for God's grace, for which none of this would be possible.  

I'm especially thankful to you, my reader peoples. The people who are with me through every story, every vent, every high, every low, and every recipe. If it wasn't for you, I would be talking to a computer screen.

So thank you. 

Seriously. From the bottom of my turkey basted, sausage stuffed, corn shucked, carrot peeled, mashed potatoed, butternut squashed, cranberry sauced, Pumpkin Pie Eclair Cake filled heart. 

PUMPKIN PIE ECLAIR CAKE

For the custard:

6 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

¾ cup sugar

½ cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Pastry:

1 cup water
½ cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup flour
4 eggs

To make custard:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks together; set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk corn starch with 1 cup of milk until dissolved; set aside as well. 

In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk cream and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Allow mixture to come to a simmer. Remove from heat. VERY SLOWLY, pour the hot cream over egg yolks while whisking. This is important as it will temper the eggs. If you do it all at once, you'll end up with curdled eggs. Once cream is fully incorporated, pour the whole mixture back into saucepan and return to heat. Add in milk with cornstarch. Whisk continuously and very quickly until the mixture boils and begins to thicken. Process will take approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and butter. Whisk thoroughly. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Transfer to a bowl. Cover with cling film, ensuring the plastic touches the surface of the custard. This will help prevent a skin forming on the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight for best results. 

To make pastry:

Preheat oven to 400º. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish by spraying with a non-stick cooking spray; set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Remove pan from heat and stir in flour until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. 

Using an offset spatula, spread dough out into prepared baking dish evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Pastry will look super inflated once it's removed from the oven, but don't worry. It will deflate as it cools. 

Once pastry is completely cooked, spread pumpkin custard over entire base. Place in fridge and chill for another hour or so. Once chilled, cut into squares. Dollop with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.