ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• flour, for rolling out the dough
• one recipe for pie crust (or 1 package pre-made pie crust)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

2. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar and spice.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough to 1/4-inch. Use a pumpkin cookie cutter to cut out about 20 pumpkin shapes. Use a paring knife to cut-out pumpkin faces (or pumpkin wrinkles) in half of the pumpkin shapes.

4. Place one pumpkin (without any cut-outs) on your floured surface and place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Use a spoon to spread the filling almost to the edges. Lightly dip your finger into water and rub the edge of the pumpkin dough shape with the water. Top with a cut-out pumpkin and lightly press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining shapes and filling.

5. Place the tarts on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Set the tarts aside to cool.