Cranberry Curd Tart
Cranberry curd tart starts with a crumbly brown butter shortbread crust and is filled with a luscious, tangy cranberry curd filling. It's topped with whipped cream and is the perfect showtopping dessert for the holidays.
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 438kcal
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted or browned, see instructions
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional or swap in ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry Curd
- 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- zest of half an orange
- juice of one orange about 2 ounces
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature, chopped into 1 inch cubes
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream cold
- 1-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- Orange zest optional
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon (if using) and salt. Set aside.
- Melt or brown the butter. (Optional) To brown the butter, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once begins to bubble and comes to a boil, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes.
- Stir the melted or browned butter into the dry ingredients with a spatula until combined. Use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Set pan on a wire rack. Use a fork to lightly press holes allover the bottom of the crust. Do not to press all the way through to the bottom of the crust.
Cranberry Curd
- With a fork, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, salt and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the cranberries have split. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to puree the mixture then use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids. Whisk about a cup of the cranberry mixture into the eggs to temper them.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the remainder of the cranberry mixture and the butter. Stir constantly with the mixture on low heat for 8-10 minutes until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Allow mixture to cool slightly then pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes, until the curd is set. It should jiggle a bit when gently shaken from side to side but shouldn't slosh around.
- Let cool at room temperature on a rack for at least an hour then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream and orange zest, if desired! Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Whipped Cream
- Pour the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl and whip on medium high until it reaches medium peaks. Dollop over the tart or serve alongside the tart just before serving.
Notes
Cranberries: I prefer using fresh cranberries, but frozen can also be used. If cranberries are covered with ice, rinse them then dry them on a paper towel to get rid of excess water.
Crust: This recipe was updated in November 2024. The original recipe featured an olive oil crust. Please see this lemon olive oil tart for the olive oil crust recipe.
Storage: This tart is best enjoyed the first day or day after it's made. Store leftovers in an airtight container such as a cake carrier in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Top with whipped cream (if using) just before serving.
Recipe inspiration: This recipe is adapted from this amazing cranberry curd tart from the New York Times.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1039IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
