Cranberry Curd Tart With Toasted Meringue Food

CRANBERRY CURD PIE WITH MERINGUE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven according to the pie-dough package instructions for "Baked Shell." Unroll the pie dough, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp or decorate the edges as desired. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork and bake as directed. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Separate 4 of the eggs, reserving the egg whites for the meringue. Add the egg yolks, remaining 2 whole eggs, orange zest and juice, salt, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the jellied cranberry sauce to a medium pot. Add the butter, set the pot over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously, until the butter is melted and the curd has thickened and reached a temperature of 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a large bowl, then pour into the cooled pie crust. Bake until the curd is just starting to set but still jiggly in the center, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Let the pie cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until the curd is chilled and completely set, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• When ready to serve, make the meringue. Beat the reserved 4 egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream of tartar and then gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, a spoonful at a time. Whisk on medium-high speed until the meringue is glossy and holds a stiff peak when the whisk is lifted, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Dollop the meringue over the pie in an even layer. Use a kitchen torch if desired to brulee the top.

CRANBERRY CURD TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a small bowl and whisk together. Melt the butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave), add the vanilla extract and orange zest to the butter and stir, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir together until thoroughly moistened. The crust will look wet. Let cool for a few minutes until it firms up slightly.
• Press the dough evenly along the bottom and sides into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Heat the cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the cranberries split. Strain through a food mill or fine mesh sieve and discard the skins. [Edit: this mixture is thick and takes some muscle to press it through a fine mesh sieve. It's easier with a food mill, but if you're struggling with this, put the mixture in a blender and then pass it through a sieve.]
• Return the strained cranberry mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, and orange liqueur (if using) to the pan and give everything a good stir. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers 170°F on an instant read thermometer (this usually takes about 8-9 minutes). Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl (ideally with a pouring spout) and then pour into the prepared crust. Bake (still at 350°F) until the curd is set (it should jiggle but not slosh), about 10 minutes.
• Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. You can serve this chilled or at room temperature.
• Add egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat. When the sugar mixture registers about 220°F turn on the mixer and begin beating the egg whites on medium speed. When the sugar mixture registers 240°F remove from heat and carefully pour into the mixer over the egg whites. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag (or zip top bag) and pipe onto cooled tart as desired. If you want, torch the meringue with a kitchen torch. (But since it is cooked, this is totally optional).

CRANBERRY CURD TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Put hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until skins darken and crack. Put roasted nuts in a clean towel and rub off skins. Discard skins and let nuts cool.
• In a food processor, grind nuts with half the rice flour until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining rice flour and salt and pulse briefly.
• Cream sugar and butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon for a minute or two until pale and thick. Add nut mixture and combine until dough comes together. If it seems crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter or a little cold water.
• Press dough evenly into a 10-inch tart pan; use half the dough for the sides and half for the bottom. Prick bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes (or several days if desired).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chilled tart shell about 15 minutes until lightly brown. Cool.
• While the crust bakes and cools, make the cranberry curd: Put cranberries, sugar and orange juice and peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have popped and softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food mill or medium mesh sieve and press cooking liquid and solids into a bowl. (Alternatively, for the most vibrant color, purée the cooked cranberry and orange mixture with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. Press through a fine-mesh sieve.) Whisk the butter into the warm liquid.
• Put eggs and egg yolks into a bowl and beat lightly. Slowly whisk a cup of warm cranberry liquid into the eggs to temper, then combine both and whisk together. Wipe out pot if necessary, return liquid to pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thickened, about 10 minutes. If using immediately, let cool to room temperature. If working ahead, cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap (press wrap against curd) and refrigerate. (Curd may be cooked up to 1 day ahead.)
• Pour cooled cranberry curd into the cooled prebaked tart shell and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set curd. Cool on a rack. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

CRANBERRY-MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place crackers in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Add butter and sugar; pulse to combine. Firmly press mixture into the bottom and up sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze 10 minutes. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Filling: Meanwhile, combine cranberries, orange juice, 1/2 cup water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries burst and are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, scraping back of sieve to get all of pulp (you should have about 1 3/4 cups pulp and liquid); discard solids. Return mixture to pan; stir in sugar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until dissolved. Whisk in butter.
• In a heatproof bowl, whisk together yolks and whole egg, then gradually whisk in half of hot cranberry mixture. Add egg mixture back to pan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and coating the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Strain through sieve (to remove any bits of cooked egg) into tart crust. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (Tart can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated up to 2 days.)
• Topping: When ready to serve, whisk together egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water until hot and sugar has dissolved. Transfer to a mixer bowl and beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Whisk in vanilla.
• Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large petal tip (such as Wilton 127D) or other decorative tip. To create a wreath, hold bag so wider part of tip faces away from you and bag is almost perpendicular to tart (about 2 inches in from edge, and at a 45 degree angle to it). Press on bag, holding it in one place for a few seconds, then lift up slightly and pull toward you, creating an elongated dollop angled toward edge of tart.
• Repeat, starting at the same point but angled toward center of tart. Continue to repeat around edge of tart to create wreath shape. (You can also dollop all of meringue over top of tart and create swoops with the back of a spoon.) Brown meringue with a kitchen torch or under broiler, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Finished tart is best eaten the same day, but can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1day.

CRANBERRY CURD TARTLETS

Steps:

• Place cranberries, water, and orange juice in a saucepan, cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst, about 35 minutes. Press through a fine sieve, scraping back of sieve to get all the pulp (you should have about 1 3/4 cups), and discard solids. Cook pulp in pan with butter, sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 7 minutes.
• Whisk together egg yolks and egg in a medium bowl, then whisk in cranberry mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. Return mixture to pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Pass through sieve into a bowl (you should have about 3 cups) and press plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to cover. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. To serve, let guests assemble their own tartlets, or spoon curd into pastry cups and top with whipped cream.

CRANBERRY CURD TART

Steps:

• To make the crust, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Spread almonds onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Toast almonds in the preheated oven until fragrant and skins have cracked, about 15 minutes. Let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Combine almonds, flour, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and cloves in a food processor; pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 12 (1-second) pulses. Add softened butter and pulse until combined, about 5 (1-second) pulses.
• Press dough into a 10-inch tart pan, using about two thirds for the sides and one third for the bottom. Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 week.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake chilled crust in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• To make curd, combine cranberries, brown sugar, orange liqueur, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst and are very soft, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain back into saucepan through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids in strainer. Whisk softened butter into cranberry liquid.
• Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a separate small bowl until lightened. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the warm cranberry mixture into the eggs. Add egg-cranberry mixture to remaining cranberry mixture in saucepan, whisking constantly. Place saucepan back over medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in orange zest. If using immediately, pour into a shallow dish and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. If making ahead, cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap pressed tightly to the curd's surface before refrigerating.
• Pour cooled cranberry curd into prebaked crust and smooth top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.