Description
Sweet-tart and beautifully festive, this cranberry curd tart is ready to light up your holiday table. The graham cracker crust adds just the right amount of sweetness and crunch, and a cloud of homemade whipped cream tops the silky-smooth, ruby-red filling.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 and 1/4 cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs (about 10 full-sheet graham crackers)
- 3 Tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, melted
Cranberry Curd Filling
- 1 lb. (454g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup (240g/ml) orange juice
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (240g/ml) heavy cream, cold
- 2 Tablespoons granulated or confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- optional: sugared cranberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base with nonstick spray.
- Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into the prepared tart pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. For more shaping technique tips, see the graham cracker crust recipe page.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set aside on a cooling rack.
- Make the cranberry filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, orange juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the cranberries have all burst, about 10 minutes. You can mash them against the sides of the saucepan with your spatula to help them along. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.
- Transfer the cranberry mixture to a high-powered blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth, and no specks of cranberry skins remain. Pour the cranberry puree back into the saucepan.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the egg, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk or stir with a fork until completely combined and smooth. Pour and whisk the egg mixture into the cranberry puree.
- Return the saucepan to the stove over medium heat and allow the cranberry curd to come to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring with a silicone spatula and scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan to keep the curd from sticking, until thickened, about 5–7 minutes. If you’d like to be precise and use a candy or instant-read thermometer, the temperature will rise to about 200°F (93°C).
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted and fully incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top (I use a small offset spatula for this). Let cool at room temperature for 30–45 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- Make the whipped cream: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks, and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out.
- Spread the whipped cream on top of the tart. Garnish with sugared cranberries, if desired. Remove the rim of the tart pan, slice, serve, and enjoy!
- Cover and store leftover tart in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the graham cracker crust through step 3, let it cool completely, then cover and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. I don’t recommend making the cranberry curd in advance, as it thickens considerably and becomes difficult to spread into the crust after chilling. If you’d still like to make it ahead, you may refrigerate it (covered) for up to 5 days; whisk vigorously to loosen before assembling. Once assembled (without the whipped cream), the tart can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Add the whipped cream shortly before serving.
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze the tart without the whipped cream. After the cranberry curd layer has cooled and set in the refrigerator, wrap the whole tart (in its pan) in a double layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Add whipped cream and garnish just before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor or Blender | 9-inch Tart Pan | Cooling Rack | Medium Saucepan | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Egg Separator | Instant-Read Thermometer | Offset Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Can I Use Frozen Cranberries? Yes. Do not thaw. No changes necessary. Add them right to the saucepan in step 4.
- Orange Juice: Using 1 cup of orange juice adds a bright, citrusy lift that really makes the cranberry flavor sing. Fresh-squeezed or store-bought both work beautifully, and pulp is fine since the mixture gets puréed. Some recipes dilute the flavor with a mix of water and orange juice, but we didn’t find that necessary—the cranberry flavor is quite bold on its own, and the orange balances it perfectly. I don’t recommend any substutions.