Cranberry Orange Tart with a Spelt Crust
With a nutty spiced crust and a tart cranberry-orange curd filling, this holiday dessert is eye catching and palate refreshing. Use spelt whole grain flour in the crust or try another ancient grain, and if you love the pairing of chocolate and fruit, add the optional layer of chocolate between the crust and the cranberry-orange curd.
- Prep time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 46 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- Sugared Cranberry Topping
- 1/2 cup water (120 grams)
- 1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (~100 grams)
- 1/4 1/2 cup additional sugar to coat the sticky cranberries (50-100 grams)
- Crust
- 1+1/2 cup spelt whole grain flour or other flour (195 grams)
- 2 tbsp sugar (30 grams)
- 1+1/2 tsp ground ginger (3.5 grams)
- 1 ground clove (~1/8 tsp)
- 1/4 tsp salt (1.4 grams)
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp avocado or light olive oil (80 grams) - or - 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed (85.5 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4 grams)
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (1 gram)
- 2-6 tbsp ice water (30-90 ml)
- Optional Chocolate Layer
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (105 grams)
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (26 grams)
- Cranberry-Orange Curd
- 12 oz cranberries, frozen or fresh (1 bag)
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4 grams)
- a pinch salt
- 2 eggs and 2 yolks
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in 4 pieces (57 grams)
- Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream (230 grams)
- 2 tbsp sugar (24 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4 grams)
Instructions
- 1
See the photo gallery after the recipe for target dough and curd consistency.
- 2
Sugared Cranberry Topping
- 3
If making this edible decoration, I suggest getting it started first.
- 4
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water for the simple syrup. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 3 minutes.
- 5
Shut off the heat, add the fresh cranberries and stir for about a minute to coat and partially cook them.
- 6
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to a cooling rack or baking sheet and let them drain and dry for several hours.
- 7
Roll the cranberries in sugar. Use them to decorate your tart and store any extras covered at room temperature for a few days. Add more loose sugar if they begin to look moist.
- 8
Crust
- 9
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your tart pan if it isn't non-stick.
- 10
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the oil and extracts and mix. If using butter instead of oil, use your fingertips to break apart the butter cubes and rub the flour into the pieces.
- 11
Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing in between, until there are almost no dry bits and you are able to gather the dough pieces into cohesive ball.
- 12
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out into a circle about 11" diameter. If you're working with refined or high extraction flour (easier to handle), you can skip the parchment paper and roll out the dough on a clean work surface.
- 13
Lay the crust over the tart pan and press it into the shape of the pan. Use a paring knife to slice off any overhanging crust. I like to press the scraps back into the tart pan but this is optional.
- 14
Dock the crust with a fork and place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
- 15
Bake at at 350°F for 20-23 minutes.
- 16
Remove the crust from the oven and leave it on the baking sheet. If your curd is ready and you're not adding the optional layer of chocolate, you can pour the curd into the hot crust and proceed with baking.
- 17
Optional Chocolate Layer
- 18
In a microwave safe bowl or Pyrex, melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream for 20 seconds on 50% power, stir and repeat if needed. The last of the chocolate pieces should melt as you are stirring.
- 19
Let the crust cool for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven, then apply a thin layer of chocolate.
- 20
With the tart pan on the baking sheet or a plate so as to prevent disturbing the removeable base, put the crust in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set the chocolate.
- 21
Curd
- 22
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, juice and zest from one orange, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.
- 23
Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the cranberries have popped.
- 24
Let cool a bit and then pour into a blender or food processor. Leave the vent hole open. Process until smooth then pour back into the pan (heat off).
- 25
Thoroughly whisk the eggs and yolks in a bowl with extra room for tempering.
- 26
Add about 1/4 cup of the cranberry puree to the bowl of beaten egg, whisking immediately. Repeat at least once more.
- 27
Pour the tempered egg-cranberry mixture into the pan with the rest of the cranberry puree and mix thoroughly.
- 28
Turn the stove back on and cook the curd for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it has thickened.
- 29
Remove from the heat and add the butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring and letting it melt before adding the next.
- 30
If you turned off the oven after baking the crust, now is a good time to preheat it to 350°F again.
- 31
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the cranberry seeds. Use a spatula to capture all the curd stuck to the underside of the sieve.
- 32
Assembly and Baking
- 33
Make sure the crust is on the baking sheet and pour the curd into the crust.
- 34
Bake for 20-23 minutes at 350°F. The curd should be set at the edges and a little jiggly in the center. Try not to let it overbake or it may crack.
- 35
Allow to the tart to cool before removing it from the pan.
- 36
Whipped Cream
- 37
Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer/electric mixer and a cold bowl, whisk the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract at med-high speed for 2-3 minutes. The final consistency should scoopable but not stiff or chunky.
- 38
Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Re-whisk with a splash of heavy cream if it needs perking up.