Cranberry Tart
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves 8 to 10
Cranberry curd is slightly tart and a bit sweet, and its beautiful color makes it the perfect addition to a holiday spread. The tart’s color is so striking that I find just a dusting of powdered sugar around the edge is enough of a decoration, but you could top this tart with a sweetened vanilla whipped cream or a toasted meringue. Making the curd is the most laborious part of this recipe, but it can be made a day in advance—just bring it to room temperature before the final bake. The crust can also be made in advance. Leftovers can be individually wrapped and frozen. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Ingredients:
Curst:1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup whole wheat flour1/3 cup powdered sugar3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)1 large egg1 large egg yolk1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Curd Filling:12 ounces fresh cranberries3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugarJuice of 1 lemon1/3 cup water6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature2 large eggs2 large egg yolks
Instructions:1. To make the curst, add the flours, salt, and powdered sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to combine. Whisk together the egg and yolk and cut the butter into cubes. Add the whisked egg mixture and the cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Mash together with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a clean worksurface. Knead until smooth and golden. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. 2. To make the curd, add the cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water to a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick and the cranberries have burst. Stir often to avoid scorching the bottom.3. While the cranberries are cooking, whisk together the eggs and yolks and set aside. Set a mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. 4. Once the cranberries have burst and the mixture thickened, puree the sauce with an immersion blender or stand blender. (Be careful while pureeing as the mixture is hot.)5. After pureeing, strain the cranberries through the mesh sieve into a medium-sized bowl. Discard the pulp. Whisk the butter into the strained cranberry sauce. 6. Take a moment to rinse out the saucepan then temper the eggs and yolks by adding about a 1/2 cup of the cranberry sauce to the whisked eggs and whisk together. Add the egg mixture and the remaining cranberry sauce to the saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-low heat until it bubbles whisking constantly. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while continuing to whisk. Transfer the curd to a shallow bowl or plate. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming. Cool to room temperature. 7. After the crust has chilled for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. 8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 9. Lightly flour a clean worksurface. Place the unwrapped pastry dough on the flour then dust the top of the dough with additional flour. Roll out the dough taking time to move the dough between passes and turning it occasionally to remove excess flour. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Once thin enough, fold the bottom of the dough up, brushing off excess flour, and then fold the right side of the dough to the left, brushing off excess flour. As you pick up the dough, brush the bottom of excess flour then transfer the dough to an ungreased tart tin with the tip of the dough set in the center. Gently unfold the dough and press the dough into the bottom of the tin. Once fitted to the bottom, press the dough into the sides of the tin. Finally, run the rolling pin across the top of the tart pan to get rid of the excess dough. (To ensure the final tart is the exact size of the pan, place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake with the excess crust hanging over the tin and trim after baking. I find the shrunken crust is the perfect size for the amount of filling and allowed the crust to shrink in the oven.)10. Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. 11. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. After 20 minutes, remove the parchment paper and the weights/beans. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Once golden, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. 12. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. 13. Once the curd and tart shell are cooled (about 30 minutes), add the curd to the shell. Smooth the curd to the edges and pop any bubbles that are on the surface. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees to set the curd. 14. Cool the tart over a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Ingredients:
Curst:1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup whole wheat flour1/3 cup powdered sugar3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)1 large egg1 large egg yolk1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Curd Filling:12 ounces fresh cranberries3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugarJuice of 1 lemon1/3 cup water6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature2 large eggs2 large egg yolks
Instructions:1. To make the curst, add the flours, salt, and powdered sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to combine. Whisk together the egg and yolk and cut the butter into cubes. Add the whisked egg mixture and the cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Mash together with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a clean worksurface. Knead until smooth and golden. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. 2. To make the curd, add the cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water to a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick and the cranberries have burst. Stir often to avoid scorching the bottom.3. While the cranberries are cooking, whisk together the eggs and yolks and set aside. Set a mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. 4. Once the cranberries have burst and the mixture thickened, puree the sauce with an immersion blender or stand blender. (Be careful while pureeing as the mixture is hot.)5. After pureeing, strain the cranberries through the mesh sieve into a medium-sized bowl. Discard the pulp. Whisk the butter into the strained cranberry sauce. 6. Take a moment to rinse out the saucepan then temper the eggs and yolks by adding about a 1/2 cup of the cranberry sauce to the whisked eggs and whisk together. Add the egg mixture and the remaining cranberry sauce to the saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-low heat until it bubbles whisking constantly. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while continuing to whisk. Transfer the curd to a shallow bowl or plate. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming. Cool to room temperature. 7. After the crust has chilled for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. 8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 9. Lightly flour a clean worksurface. Place the unwrapped pastry dough on the flour then dust the top of the dough with additional flour. Roll out the dough taking time to move the dough between passes and turning it occasionally to remove excess flour. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Once thin enough, fold the bottom of the dough up, brushing off excess flour, and then fold the right side of the dough to the left, brushing off excess flour. As you pick up the dough, brush the bottom of excess flour then transfer the dough to an ungreased tart tin with the tip of the dough set in the center. Gently unfold the dough and press the dough into the bottom of the tin. Once fitted to the bottom, press the dough into the sides of the tin. Finally, run the rolling pin across the top of the tart pan to get rid of the excess dough. (To ensure the final tart is the exact size of the pan, place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake with the excess crust hanging over the tin and trim after baking. I find the shrunken crust is the perfect size for the amount of filling and allowed the crust to shrink in the oven.)10. Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. 11. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. After 20 minutes, remove the parchment paper and the weights/beans. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Once golden, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. 12. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. 13. Once the curd and tart shell are cooled (about 30 minutes), add the curd to the shell. Smooth the curd to the edges and pop any bubbles that are on the surface. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees to set the curd. 14. Cool the tart over a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours before serving.