Cranberry Curd Tart With Toasted Meringue Recipes

CRANBERRY CURD TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a small bowl and whisk together. Melt the butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave), add the vanilla extract and orange zest to the butter and stir, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir together until thoroughly moistened. The crust will look wet. Let cool for a few minutes until it firms up slightly.
• Press the dough evenly along the bottom and sides into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Heat the cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the cranberries split. Strain through a food mill or fine mesh sieve and discard the skins. [Edit: this mixture is thick and takes some muscle to press it through a fine mesh sieve. It's easier with a food mill, but if you're struggling with this, put the mixture in a blender and then pass it through a sieve.]
• Return the strained cranberry mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, and orange liqueur (if using) to the pan and give everything a good stir. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers 170°F on an instant read thermometer (this usually takes about 8-9 minutes). Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl (ideally with a pouring spout) and then pour into the prepared crust. Bake (still at 350°F) until the curd is set (it should jiggle but not slosh), about 10 minutes.
• Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. You can serve this chilled or at room temperature.
• Add egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. When the sugar mixture registers about 220°F turn on the mixer and begin beating the egg whites on medium speed. When the sugar mixture registers 240°F remove from heat and carefully pour into the mixer over the egg whites. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag (or zip top bag) and pipe onto cooled tart as desired. If you want, torch the meringue with a kitchen torch. (But since it is cooked, this is totally optional).

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.

CRANBERRY CURD PIE WITH MERINGUE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven according to the pie-dough package instructions for "Baked Shell." Unroll the pie dough, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp or decorate the edges as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork and bake as directed. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Separate 4 of the eggs, reserving the egg whites for the meringue. Add the egg yolks, remaining 2 whole eggs, orange zest and juice, salt, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the jellied cranberry sauce to a medium pot. Add the butter, set the pot over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously, until the butter is melted and the curd has thickened and reached a temperature of 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a large bowl, then pour into the cooled pie crust. Bake until the curd is just starting to set but still jiggly in the center, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Let the pie cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until the curd is chilled and completely set, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• When ready to serve, make the meringue. Beat the reserved 4 egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream of tartar and then gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, a spoonful at a time. Whisk on medium-high speed until the meringue is glossy and holds a stiff peak when the whisk is lifted, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Dollop the meringue over the pie in an even layer. Use a kitchen torch if desired to brulee the top.

CRANBERRY CURD TART WITH TOASTED MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Then fold in the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
• Press the dough into your tart pan and then poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to allow air to escape while baking.
• Place the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking. This ensures that the crust won't sink in your tart pan.
• Bake the crust at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
• Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling (the crust does not have to cool completely before filling).
• Add the cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries split open, about 10 minutes.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the skins and seeds. The cranberries don't pass through easily, so you need to press it through with a spoon or spatula (you can also pulse a few times in a blender or food processor to make it a little easier to strain). You should end up with about 1 cup of thick cranberry puree.
• Create a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top and make sure it's not touching the water.
• In the glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Then add in the cranberry puree, orange liqueur, and vanilla. Continue to whisk the curd over the double boiler for 10-15 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (If the curd isn't thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk).
• Once thickened, remove the glass bowl from the heat. Cut the butter into chunks and whisk into the cranberry curd until fully combined and smooth.
• Pass through fine mesh strainer and then pour into the par-baked shortbread crust.
• Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the curd is set and the center jiggles slightly.
• Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sugar and cream of tartar into the egg whites then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out (about 3-4 minutes). If using an instant thermometer, it should read about 160°F.
• Place the bowl on the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. If it's still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Add the Swiss meringue to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip, and pipe fun designs on top of the cranberry curd tart.
• Then use a culinary blow torch to lightly toast the meringue.
• You could also garnish this cranberry curd tart with these festive sugared cranberries!
• This cranberry curd tart is best eaten the same day, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days!