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Christmas: Cranberry Curd Tartlets

Source of Recipe

From "Cold Weather Cooking" by Sarah Leah Chase


Recipe Introduction

"These make a light and gentle ending to a rich Thanksgiving dinner. They are so dainty and delicious that I am also prone to making them at Christmastime, when a little sprig of holly serves as a smashing garnish."

List of Ingredients

Almond Crust:
â—¦ ½ cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted
â—¦ 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ Pinch of salt
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ 1 teaspoon almond extract

Cranberry Curd:
â—¦ 4 cups fresh cranberries (about 1 ½ packages)
â—¦ ½ cup fresh orange juice
â—¦ 1 to 1 ¼ cups sugar
â—¦ 6 large egg yolks
â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
â—¦ 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
â—¦ Whole cranberries or tiny holly sprigs for garnish


Recipe

Prepare the almond crust:
Place the almonds and flour in a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter, sugar, and salt; process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and almond extract and continue processing just until the dough holds together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Roll the dough out â…› inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into circles to fit into ten 3- to 3 ½-inch round tartlet tins. Trim and crimp the edges decoratively. Line each pastry shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until beginning to brown lightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights, reduce the oven temperature to 350° F, and continue baking until the shells are golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Let cool completely.

Prepare the cranberry curd:
Place the cranberries, orange juice, and 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the berries have popped and are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Press the berries through a food mill to purée and discard the skins and seeds.

Place the cranberry purée in a clean saucepan. Taste for sweetness and add up to ¼ cup sugar if the mixture seems too tart. Whisk in the egg yolks and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting for each tablespoon to melt before adding another. Stir in the Grand Marnier and orange zest. Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate for several hours.

Just before serving, pipe the cranberry curd through a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip into the baked pastry shells. Garnish each tartlet in the center with a whole cranberry or a holly sprig.

Makes 10 tartlets