Cranberry Curd Tart

4.49 from 25 votes

This cranberry curd tart has the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It’s made with homemade cranberry curd, a crisp, nutty crust, and lots of seasonal fruit.

Prep Time35

Cook Time45

Chill Time3

Total Time4 20

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: General

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: slices

Calories: 571kcal

Author: Cassie Johnston

Ingredients

For the almond crust:

½ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter softened, plus more as necessary
2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour (220 grams)
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Cold water

For the cranberry curd:

12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon orange zest
⅔ cup 100% cranberry juice
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter softened (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For assembly

Sugared cranberries and candied citrus peel for garnish

Makes: 10inch round

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the crust:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, in a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in a food processor, cream together the ½ cup granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons butter until pale and thick.
Add 2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.
Mix until the dough comes together. If the mixture seems too crumbly to work with, add in Cold water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms into a rough ball when squeezed.
Press the dough evenly into a 10-inch tart pan. You should use about half the dough for the sides, and half for the bottom of the pan. Prick bottom of the crust with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
When chilling time is almost up, heat the oven to 350℉. Bake the chilled tart shell until lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

To make the curd

Place 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and ⅔ cup 100% cranberry juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all the cranberries have burst open, about 5 minutes. Blend the mixture either using an immersion blender or by pureeing it in a blender.
Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the blended cranberry mixture through the strainer, using a spatula to press the mixture through. Discard the pulp left in the strainer. You should have about 1 ⅓ cups of cranberry puree.
In a large glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the 4 large eggs and 4 large egg yolks. Then temper the eggs by adding a few tablespoons of the warm cranberry puree to the eggs and whisking. Continue adding the cranberry puree a small amount at a time—increasing the amount added each time—until all the cranberry puree has been incorporated into the eggs.
Wipe out the saucepan used for the cranberries, and then pour the cranberry and egg mixture back into the saucepan. Add in the 1 cup granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over medium heat and stir the curd constantly, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottoms of the pan. Cook until the mixture comes to a mixture and thickens slightly, about 5-7 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon, and it’ll read around 150ºF on a thermometer.
Remove the pan from heat, and add in all the 8 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, stirring well until the butter is completely melted.

To assemble the tart

Pour the cranberry curd into the pre-baked tart crust and spread in an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven until the curd is set, but is still slightly jiggly in the center—about 12-15 minutes.
Let the tart cool on a wire rack for one hour, and then transfer to the fridge until chilled through—at least 2 hours—before serving. Garnish with Sugared cranberries and candied citrus peel.

Notes

Wash your orange well before zesting with a zester or the finest side of your box grater. Stop before you get to the bitter white pith.
The simplest way to separate the yolk from the egg is to crack it into your hand and let the egg white drip through your fingers into a bowl below. Yes, it's messy, but it is the easiest way to go!
Freezing the crust before you bake it will help it stay the right size and shape, filling the whole pan. Skip it, and your crust will shrink!
Make sure you add the warm cranberry puree to the eggs a little at a time to keep the curd silky-smooth. Adding it too fast will give you little pieces of scrambled eggs in your curd...not good eats!
To make sugared cranberries, soak cranberries in a 1:1 simple syrup. Drain and allow to partially dry on a wire rack. When the cranberries are tacky, roll in granulated sugar to coat.

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