cranberry orange curd tart
The flavor combination that I probably use most often around the holidays is orange + cranberry. It’s such a classic mix and the two flavors are enhanced by the other. The colors are also beautiful together. Add some fresh herbs and whipped cream and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous holiday dessert!
I like using a shortcrust pastry for this recipe, known as a Pâte brisée in French baking. It is buttery and a little sweeter than traditional pie dough, while also being a bit sturdier. This recipe is a little more time consuming, but well worth the effort.
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The Recipe
Cranberry Orange Curd Tart
Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte brisée)
- 4 ounces butter, unsalted and softened
- 2 ounces powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour
- Raw baking beans (any kind will work like black beans, pinto beans, etc)
- Aluminum Foil
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar together in a mixer with a paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
- While the mixer is running on low, slowly add the flour and mix until just incorporated. The dough will still be slightly crumbly.
- Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap, work the dough together into a ball. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove shortcrust from refrigerator and roll out into a circle about 1″ bigger than your tart pan (*see note below about rolling out crusts)
- Using a fork or a dough docker, prick holes all around the dough to prevent it from puffing up while cooking.
- Spray tart pan with pan spray, place the shortcrust dough into the pan and trim any edges. Freeze for 15 minutes (this helps to keep the dough from shrinking)
- Cover the dough with aluminum foil and place baking beans in tart pan, spreading them out evenly over the bottom of the pan so the crust bakes evenly and doesn’t shrink.
- Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
*When rolling out dough, make sure the surface beneath the dough and the top of the dough is well-floured to prevent it from sticking. Roll up to the right diagonally a few times, then up to the left diagonally a few times. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Keep rotating and rolling (making sure the dough never sticks to the surface, adding more flour as necessary) until the dough is the right size*
Curd:
- 3 cups sugar
- 8 ounces butter, unsalted and softened
- 8 eggs
- 2 oranges, zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup orange juice (using the juice from the oranges + adding more to equal 1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh whole cranberries, chopped up
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add orange juice, orange zest, chopped cranberries and salt and mix until combined.
- Put mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly (or else you will get scrambled eggs).
- Cook mixture until it is thickened and coats the back of a spoon (around 170°F).
- Remove curd from the heat and blend using an immersion blender until the curd is smooth.
- Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove the cranberry seeds, place in a bowl with plastic wrap on the surface (this avoids a skin forming on the top of the curd) and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove the curd from the fridge and evenly pour into cooled shortcrust tart shell, smoothing out the surface.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours to set up.
- Decorate with sugared cranberries, orange wedges, whipped cream and rosemary sprigs.
- Serve & enjoy!