Cranberry Curd Tart
Christmas is upon us and with it everything wrapped in red, green, and sparkle. This stunning Cranberry Curd Tart is an elegant dessert that will demand center stage on your holiday table.
‘Tis the season for all things cranberry, such as Cranberry Pistachio Crusted Cheese Log. These tart and gleaming jewels of the season are perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. Dressed in the official color of the holiday, this tart recipe is destined to become a new holiday tradition.
Ingredients
Cranberry Curd Tart combines fresh seasonal ingredients like ripe cranberries and juicy oranges with all of your baking favorites. With just a handful of items, it doesn’t take much to create this stunning confection.
- Pecan Meal – Pecans adds buttery flavor that balances the tartness of the cranberries.
- Almond Meal – Adds texture and a rich flavor to the crust that compliments the pecans.
- Salt – Enhances all of the flavors in the crust.
- Sugar – Brings sweetness to the crust while balancing the tartness of the cranberry curd filling.
- Butter – Used in both the crust and the curd. It brings the crust together while adding richness and creaminess to the tart and bright curd.
- Cranberries – Bright in both flavor and color, these are the star of this gorgeous dessert.
- Orange – The sunny sweetness of orange adds depth to the curd while also balancing the flavor. Both the just and the peel is used.
- Eggs – Helps thicken the cranberry curd and bring this pie together.
- Egg Yolks – Helps with the texture of the curd while also giving it even more richness.
How to Make Cranberry Curd Tart
This festive and colorful tart might look like you spent all day in the kitchen, but it comes together in just a few easy steps. Unlike other types of curd such as lemon curd the process to make this cranberry curd isn’t as labor intensive.
Time needed: 1 hour
A lightly sweet nutty crust is filled with tart and tangy cranberry-orange curd.
- Simmer
Add the cranberries, orange juice and peel, and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the cranberries have burst, broken down, and thickened. Let it cool while you make the crust.
- Crust
Add your almond and pecan meal to a bowl along with the sugar and pinch of salt. Add your softened butter and mix to combine. Press the crust mixture into a 10″ tart pan and allow it to bake for a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Let cool.
- Curd
Press your cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve, removing the pulp. Add the butter and whisk to melt. Add your eggs and egg yolks and whisk to combine.
- Bake
Pour the cranberry curd into the prepared crust. Allow it to bake for 10 minutes until the curd is set.
Variations
This dessert is naturally Gluten Free using nut flours as the crust. You can also make this Dairy Free by replacing the regular butter with your favorite
For an additional kiss of flavor, add 4-6 whole cloves to your saucepan when cooking your cranberries.
Substitutions
If you don’t have almond and pecan meal, you can make it yourself. Add your nuts to a food processor and pulse until you have a fine, sandy flour.
Tools
- Saucepan – The cranberry mixture will need to simmer and break down for 15 minutes. A small saucepan is perfect for this.
- 10″ Tart Pan – This round, shallow pan usually has fluted edges that give tarts and quiches their distinct shape.
- Fine Mesh Sieve – The texture of this cranberry curd is silky, smooth, and luscious. Using a fine mesh sieve makes it easy to remove the pulp from the cooked cranberry sauce.
- Whisk – No need to get out the mixer. All that you need for the cranberry curd to come together is a whisk.
Storage
This bright crimson confection won’t last long! However, you can keep it at room temperature for 2-3 days if tightly covered. In addition, you can make the crust ahead and keep it refrigerated until ready to bake and fill. This can be done the night before.
Top Tip for Cranberry Custard Tart
There is something magical about your fork sliding into the silky texture of the cranberry curd. In order to achieve that texture, make sure that you allow the cranberry mixture to partially cool before adding the eggs. This will prevent them from curdling.
Cranberry Curd Tart
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 10" tart pan
- 1 fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups pecan meal
- 1 cup almond meal
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 stick butter, softened
Cranberry Curd
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- juice of 1 orange, about 1/2 cup
- peel of 1 orange
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 stick butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the cranberries, orange juice and peel, and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to come to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the cranberries burst and begin to break down and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to partially cool.
- Add your pecan and almond meals to a bowl along with sugar, salt, and butter. Mix to combine. The mixture will be slightly crumbly.
- Press the crust mixture into a 10" tart pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Pour the partially cooled cranberry mixture into a mesh sieve and use a spatula press the mixture through, leaving the pulp and skin behind.
- Add the butter and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk until they are fully mixed in.
- Pour the cranberry curd into the baked crust. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!
