A holiday favorite, Fresh Cranberry Tart celebrates the perfect ratio of sweet and tart with a nutty graham cracker walnut crust and sugared cranberries.
This Fresh Cranberry Tart will look stunning on your holiday table with it’s bright red color and sugared cranberry garnish. I like to add a little green herb, such as sage, to the top for looks. It gives the dessert a Christmas mistletoe look that I adore. Just remove before eating.
You may want to make extra of the sugared cranberries. They are definitely a sweet treat, that if left in a bowl on the counter, will quickly disappear. It’s a very simple sugar water combination that coats the cranberries enough to dip in more sugar for the frosted look.
The addition of minced walnuts in the graham cracker crust adds a very earthy texture to this Fresh Cranberry Tart. Walnuts can easily be substituted for another type of nut, such as pecan or your favorite nut. I like to use locally grown ingredients when I have the chance and walnuts are an OUT WEST: Food & Lifestyle favorite.
Ingredients
- Cranberries – Fresh cranberries found in the produce section of the grocery. Save about ten of them for the sugared cranberry garnish.
- Orange – One large juicy fresh orange – you want the zest and the juice.
- Walnuts – Walnuts are grown in Washington State, so that’s why I chose them for my crust. You can substitute for your favorite nut.
- Eggs – Make note that you need two full eggs and 2 egg yolks.
- Butter – Real butter please.
- Pantry Items – Plain old salt and granulated sugar from the pantry.
Preparation
- Make the crust first by combining graham crackers, sugar, salt and walnuts. Pulverize to a fine crumb. Combine with melted butter. Press into tart pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.
- Simmer cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest in a sauce pan until cranberries burst. Remove from heat and blend until smooth.
- Return to heat and add butter, stirring to combine.
- Whisk eggs and yolks together. Temper in about a cup of the warm cranberry sauce with the whisked eggs, then combine all together. Heat over low heat, stirring continuously until thickened.
- Pour into pre-baked graham cracker walnut crust.
- Refrigerate overnight. Top with sugared cranberries before serving.
Fresh Cranberry Tart
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Walnut Crust
- 20 squares graham crackers pulverized
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup walnuts minced
- 5 tbsp. butter melted
Fresh Cranberry Filling
- 1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries save a few for sugared cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 orange juiced and zested
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
Sugared Cranberries
- 10 fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Graham Cracker Walnut Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine graham crackers, sugar, salt and walnuts in a large Ziplock bag. Using a rolling pin or mallet, crush until fine and crumbly.
- Pour melted butter in Ziplock and shake to combine.
- Press into an 8 inch tart pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes until starting to lightly brown.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool while you make the fresh cranberry filling.
Fresh Cranberry Filling
- Place cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice and zest in a sauce pan and simmer over medium high heat for about 10 minutes until cranberries have popped.
- Remove to a bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
- Place blended cranberry mixture back in the sauce pan, with heat on medium low. Add cubed butter and stir until combined.
- Whisk eggs and egg yolks together in a medium bowl.
- Add about a cup of the warm blended cranberry sauce to the eggs to temper. This ensures that the eggs won't scramble when you combine the two together.
- Next, combine the egg mixture in with the remaining cranberry mixture and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Pour mixture into pre-baked graham cracker walnut crust.
- Place tart in refrigerator until set, preferably over night.
- Top with sugared cranberries before serving.
Sugared Cranberries
- Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and water in a sauce pan. Cook on medium low until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and stir to coat. Remove cranberries to a wire rack and let dry about 30 minutes. Roll each cranberry in remaining 1/4 cup sugar to give the frosted look.
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