The delicious, bright flavors of this Cranberry Orange Tart are a delightful contrast to the rich, heavy foods typical of Thanksgiving. The curd is silky and tart and the rind is nutty and accented with ginger and cloves. Made with wholemeal spelled flour and avocado oil, the crust is more delicate and graham cracker-like than a typical shortcrust pastry and is a truly unique treat. For a more delicious variant, which plays on an irresistible combination of flavours, you can add a layer of chocolate between the crust and the curd.
Equipment: 9-inch tart pan with removable base, baking pan, rolling pin, blender or food processor, fine mesh strainer, slotted spoon, cooling rack
Flours and Fats: If you prefer, you can use different flours or butter in place of the oil, just add more ice water if the flour is thirsty and the dough has dry bits, or 1-2 tablespoons more flour if the dough is wet. For more details, see the recipe and photo gallery.
Seasonal Tip: If you like this tart, grab an extra bag or two of cranberries and freeze them while they are available in grocery stores in November and December. This way you can make it at any time of the year. Please note that the candied cranberry decoration must be made with fresh cranberries.
Orange and cranberry tart with spelled crust
With a spicy hazelnut crust and a tart filling of cranberry and orange curd, this holiday dessert commands attention and refreshes the palate. Use whole grain spelled flour in the crust or try another ancient grain, and if you love the chocolate and fruit pairing, add the optional layer of chocolate between the crust and the blueberry-orange curd.
Preparation time
1 hour and 30 minutes
Total time
2 hours and 16 minutes
Ingredients
Sweetened 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 sticky cranberries (50-100 grams)
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelled flour or other flour (195 grams)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar (30 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (3.5 grams)
- 1 ground clove (~1/8 teaspoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (1.4 grams)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon avocado or light olive oil (80 grams) – or – 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (85.5 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (1 gram)
- 2-6 tablespoons ice water (30-90 ml)
Optional chocolate layer
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (105 grams)
- 2 tablespoons of cream (26 grams)
Cranberry and orange curd
- 12 ounces cranberries, frozen or fresh (1 bag)
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup of sugar (200 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4 grams)
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs and 2 yolks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces (57 grams)
Whipped cream
- 1 cup of cream (230 grams)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar (24 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4 grams)
Instructions
- See the photo gallery after the recipe to know the desired dough and the consistency of the curd.
Sweetened cranberry topping
- If you make this edible decoration, I suggest starting first.
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water for the simple syrup. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add the fresh cranberries and stir for about a minute to coat and partially cook them.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to a rack or baking sheet and let them drain and dry for several hours.
- 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 dissolved sugar if they start to look moist.
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your cake pan if it is not nonstick.
- 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 up the butter cubes and rub in the flour.
- Add cold water a tablespoon at a time, stirring all the while, until there are almost no dry bits left and you are able to gather the dough pieces into a cohesive ball.
- Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. If you’re working with refined or high-extraction flour (easier to handle), you can skip the baking paper and roll out the dough on a clean work surface.
- Place the crust on the pie pan and press it into the pan shape. Use a paring knife to trim any overhanging crust. I like to put the scraps back in the pan, but this is optional.
- Attack the tart with a fork and place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven at 180°C for 20-23 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and leave it on the baking sheet. If the curd is ready and you don’t want to add the optional layer of chocolate, you can pour the curd into the hot crust and proceed with cooking.
Optional chocolate layer
- In a microwave-safe bowl or Pyrex, melt the chocolate chips with the cream for 20 seconds at 50% power, stir and repeat if necessary. The last bits of chocolate should melt as you stir.
- Allow the crust to cool for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven, then apply a thin layer of chocolate.
- With the tart pan on the baking tray or on a plate so as not to damage the removable base, place the tart in the freezer for about 20 minutes to allow the chocolate to solidify.
Curd
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, juice and zest of one orange, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the cranberries have popped.
- Allow to cool a little and then pour into blender or food processor. Leave the ventilation hole open. Process until smooth, then pour back into the pan (with the heat off).
- Beat the eggs and egg yolks well in a bowl with extra room for tempering.
- Add about 1/4 cup of the cranberry puree to the bowl of beaten egg, whisking immediately. Repeat at least one more time.
- Pour the tempered cranberry-egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the cranberry puree and mix well.
- Turn the heat back on and cook the curd for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring and letting it melt before adding the next.
- If you turned the oven off after baking the crust, now is a good time to preheat it again to 350°F.
- Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cranberry seeds. Use a spatula to catch any curd stuck to the bottom of the sieve.
Assembly and Cooking
- Make sure the crust is on the baking sheet and pour the curds into the crust.
- Cook for 20-23 minutes at 180°C. The curd should be firm at the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. Try not to let it overcook or it may break.
- Allow the tart to cool before removing it from the mold.
Whipped cream
- Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer/electric mixer and a cold bowl, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. The final consistency should be easily spreadable but not hard or chunky.
- Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If it needs jazzing up, beat it again with a splash of cream.
