Showing up to a holiday party with this in hand is the tart equivalent of a humble brag. “Oh, this old thing? I just whipped it up as I was leaving.” The bright and luscious cranberry curd is divine and good enough to eat on its own. But topped with a torched meringue and sugared cranberries, this tart transforms into the grand dame of the holiday dessert buffet. Make it and prepare to soak up the compliments.
Cranberry Curd Tart
Tart Dough
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- pinch salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, mix together softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add flour and salt and combine until the mixture is crumbly and resembles cookie dough.
Use the bottom and sides of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a square of aluminum foil or parchment paper and place butter side down onto tart dough. Fill with rice or beans and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weight and dock the base of the dough with a fork several times to create a release for the steam. Place back in oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes, or until the dough is lightly brown.
Cranberry Curd
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- juice and zest of 1 orange
- 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbs Grand Marnier or other orange liquer
- pinch salt
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, and orange juice and zest. Bring to a simmer until the berries start bursting open. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture (or transfer and puree in a food processor). Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Slowly add the warm butter to the eggs while whisking steadily. Transfer the cranberry puree and egg/butter mixture into a clean saucepan. Add the cinnamon, Grand Marnier and salt. Bring the mixture to a low simmer while stirring frequently. When the mixture reaches 160-170 degrees, transfer to a glass bowl to cool slightly.
Once the mixture has cooled slightly, pour into the pre-baked tart crust and return to a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Recipe adapted from The New York Times.
Swiss Meringue
- 1/4 egg whites (about 4 eggs)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine egg white and sugar and heat over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 160 degrees and is no longer grainy. Transfer to a stand mixer and whip on high speed until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.
Pipe or spread directly on curd, torch if desired.
Candied Cranberries
- 1/4 cup cranberries
- 1/8 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1/8 cup water
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and heat over low until the sugar has dissolved completely. Toss in the cranberries and heat though for 2 minutes (they should not pop). Remove the cranberries from the syrup, drain well, and roll in granulated sugar.
laretrorecipe.com 