Cranberry Almond Shortbread Tart Recipes

NANTUCKET CRANBERRY TART

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar and almonds. Transfer to a greased 11-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Place on a baking sheet., In a small bowl, beat the eggs, butter, extract and remaining sugar. Beat in flour just until moistened (batter will be thick). Spread evenly over berries. , Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.

CRANBERRY FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and set aside.
• To make the crust, add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse once to combine. Add the butter, then process until the mixture comes together and forms large clumps, about 30 seconds to one minute.
• Press the dough into the tart pan evenly around the base and up the sides. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to help even and smooth it out. Place the tart on a sheet pan and transfer the whole thing to the freezer or refrigerator while you make the filling.
• To make the filling, don't bother cleaning out the food processor. Add the almonds, 3/4 cup sugar, flour and salt, then pulse until it forms a fine powder. Add the butter and process until evenly distributed, then add the eggs and vanilla. Blend until totally smooth.
• Remove the tart pan from the freezer, then add the batter and spread it out into an even layer. Arrange the cranberries in an even layer, then sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar all over the top.
• Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffed, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the filling comes out clean (except for a little cranberry juice).
• Allow the tart to cool to room temperature before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

CRANBERRY CURD TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until skins darken and crack. Put roasted nuts in a clean towel and rub off skins. Discard skins and let nuts cool.
• In a food processor, grind nuts with half the rice flour until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining rice flour and salt and pulse briefly.
• Cream sugar and butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until pale and thick. Add nut mixture and combine until dough comes together. If it seems crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter or a little cold water.
• Press dough evenly into a 10-inch tart pan; use half the dough for the sides and half for the bottom. Prick bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes (or several days if desired).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chilled tart shell about 15 minutes until lightly brown. Cool.
• While the crust bakes and cools, make the cranberry curd: Put cranberries, sugar and orange juice and peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have popped and softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food mill or medium mesh sieve and press cooking liquid and solids into a bowl. (Alternatively, for the most vibrant color, purée the cooked cranberry and orange mixture with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. Press through a fine-mesh sieve.) Whisk the butter into the warm liquid.
• Put eggs and egg yolks into a bowl and beat lightly. Slowly whisk a cup of warm cranberry liquid into the eggs to temper, then combine both and whisk together. Wipe out pot if necessary, return liquid to pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thickened, about 10 minutes. If using immediately, let cool to room temperature. If working ahead, cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap (press wrap against curd) and refrigerate. (Curd may be cooked up to 1 day ahead.)
• Pour cooled cranberry curd into the cooled prebaked tart shell and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set curd. Cool on a rack. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

CRANBERRY-ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place one disk of dough on a floured work surface, sprinkle dough with flour, and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 25 to 30 circles using a 2 1/4-inch round cutter, re-rolling dough once if necessary. Place each circle in a 1 3/4-inch nonstick petit four brioche mold, gently pressing down on the bottom and sides. Place filled molds on a baking sheet; transfer to a freezer for 20 minutes.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake tart shells until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer tart shells, in their molds, to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place frangipane in pastry bag fitted with a small, plain round tip. Fill each tart shell with 1/4 teaspoon frangipane. Place tart shells, in their molds, on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until frangipane springs back when touched with your fingertip, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer tart shells to a cooling rack; let cool completely.
• In a large bowl, mix together cranberries, almonds, and enough caramel to hold cranberries and almonds together, about 1 cup. Remove almond tarts from their molds and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spoon cranberry mixture on top of frangipane; transfer to oven and bake until cranberries just begin to pop, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with caramel and serve.

CRANBERRY CURD TART

Steps:

• To make the crust, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Spread almonds onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Toast almonds in the preheated oven until fragrant and skins have cracked, about 15 minutes. Let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Combine almonds, flour, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and cloves in a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 12 (1-second) pulses. Add softened butter and pulse until combined, about 5 (1-second) pulses.
• Press dough into a 10-inch tart pan, using about two thirds for the sides and one third for the bottom. Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 week.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake chilled crust in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• To make curd, combine cranberries, brown sugar, orange liqueur, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst and are very soft, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain back into saucepan through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids in strainer. Whisk softened butter into cranberry liquid.
• Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a separate small bowl until lightened. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the warm cranberry mixture into the eggs. Add egg-cranberry mixture to remaining cranberry mixture in saucepan, whisking constantly. Place saucepan back over medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in orange zest. If using immediately, pour into a shallow dish and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. If making ahead, cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap pressed tightly to the curd's surface before refrigerating.
• Pour cooled cranberry curd into prebaked crust and smooth top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.