Description

This Cranberry Curd Tart is a delightful dessert featuring a crisp, nutty hazelnut crust filled with a smooth, tangy cranberry curd. Bursting with vibrant flavors from fresh cranberries, orange zest, and warming spices like cinnamon and ginger, this tart is perfect for holiday celebrations or any special occasion. The optional sugared cranberries and intricate crust cut-outs add an elegant finishing touch, making this both a beautiful and delicious treat.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cranberry Filling

12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 egg yolks, beaten

For the Hazelnut Tart Crust

2 1/4 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup shelled hazelnuts
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cold water

For the Egg Wash

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water

For the Sugared Cranberries (Optional)

12 ounces cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar for dusting

Optional Garnishes

Rosemary sprigs
White sugar
Gold sanding sugar
Crust cut outs
Sugared cranberries

Instructions

Preheat and Toast Hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to a tea towel, let cool for 1 minute, then rub to remove skins. Discard skins and set nuts aside to cool.
Prepare Crust Mixture: Pulse cooled hazelnuts in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. In a large bowl, combine ground hazelnuts, flour, sugar, and sea salt. Add chilled, cubed butter and cut it into the mixture using a pastry blender, forks, or food processor pulses until pea-sized pieces form.
Form Dough: Stir in cold water and vanilla extract until dough clumps together. Transfer dough to a floured surface and fold in flour to form a cohesive ball. Pat into a 1/2-inch thick disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Separate Dough for Garnishes: Remove dough from fridge. Cut off about 1/4 of the dough, wrap, and chill again for garnish use. Roll out the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle, place in an 11-inch tart pan, trim edges, and prick the bottom with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes.
Blind Bake Tart Shell: Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or baking beans. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and mostly cooked through but slightly underdone. Remove weights and parchment and cool completely.
Cook Cranberry Filling: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and ginger. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until berries pop and soften.
Puree and Strain Filling: Use an immersion or stand blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Strain through a medium mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Clean the saucepan and set aside.
Incorporate Butter: Whisk butter into the warm strained cranberry mixture until fully combined.
Temper Eggs: In a bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks. Slowly add 1 cup of warm cranberry mixture to temper the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture back into the cranberry filling until smooth.
Cook Final Filling: Return mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Cook gently, stirring frequently, until thickened and barely bubbling (about 7-8 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (~10-15 minutes).
Fill and Bake Tart: Pour cooled cranberry curd into the tart shell, smoothing the top. Bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes until the filling is set with a slight jiggle.
Cool and Decorate: Let the tart cool completely, then remove from pan. Garnish with crust cut-outs, sugared cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and sprinkle white and gold sanding sugar as desired.
Make Crust Cut Outs (Optional): Roll out reserved dough to same thickness as crust. Use lattice cutters or stencils to create cut-outs. Chill 10 minutes, brush with egg wash, then bake at 350˚F for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool completely on wire rack.
Prepare Sugared Cranberries (Optional): Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and water; boil then simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries to coat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat, rest 10 minutes, then drain cranberries on baking sheet. Let dry 1 hour.
Coat Cranberries with Sugar: Toss dried cranberries in 1 cup sugar until coated. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until use.

Notes

Chilling the dough properly helps prevent shrinking during baking.
Removing the hazelnut skins ensures a smooth dough texture and avoids bitterness.
Tempering eggs prevents curdling when combining with warm cranberry mixture.
Using a tart pan with a removable bottom makes for easier removal and presentation.
Optional garnishes make the tart visually festive but are not required for flavor.
Store leftover tart covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The sugared cranberries can be made ahead and stored for weeks in the fridge.
Use fresh or frozen cranberries depending on availability; frozen works well too.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of tart)
Calories: 350 kcal
Sugar: 28 g
Sodium: 140 mg
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 11 g
Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 85 mg

Keywords: cranberry curd tart, hazelnut crust, holiday tart, Christmas dessert, fruit curd tart, autumn dessert, nut crust pie