Cranberry Lime Curd Food

CRANBERRY CURD

Steps:

• Place cranberries in a medium saucepan. Add water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour cranberry mixture into a food processor or blender; blend until smooth, 10 to 20 seconds. Reserve 1/3 cup and return remaining cranberry mixture to the saucepan over low heat.
• Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl. Slowly add reserved cranberry mixture, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk egg-cranberry mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until thickened and the curd coats the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until melted and fully incorporated.
• Pour into a sterile jar and allow to cool. Curd keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

CRANBERRY-LIME TART

Steps:

• For lime curd:
• Whisk lime juice and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in sugar and yolks, then add butter. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture simmers and thickens, about 8 minutes. Strain into small bowl. Mix in lime peel. Cover; chill overnight.
• For crust:
• Finely grind flour, sugar, almonds, and salt in processor. Add butter and vanilla; cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture just forms soft moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using thumb, press dough up sides to extend 1/8 inch above rim of pan. Freeze crust 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until golden brown, pressing with back of spoon if crust bubbles, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.
• For cranberry topping:
• Whisk 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in heavy large saucepan to blend. Add sugar, honey, and five-spice powder, if desired. Stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil. Add cranberries; cook until mixture boils and berries just begin to pop but still maintain shape, occasionally stirring gently, about 5 minutes. Cool completely (mixture will thicken).
• For white chocolate cream:
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water; whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Cool completely.
• Spread white chocolate cream into crust; freeze 15 minutes. Spoon curd over; spread evenly. Spoon cranberry topping by tablespoonfuls over, then spread carefully to cover completely. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Remove pan sides; transfer tart to platter. Sprinkle chocolate curls around edge of tart. Garnish with lime twists.
• *A blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, and pepper available in the spice section of most supermarkets

FRESH LIME CURD

Steps:

• Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in the top of a double boiler; stir over medium-high heat until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the eggs and stir to blend.
• Reduce heat to medium until water simmers. Slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Cook over the double boiler until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and spoon into a clean, glass jar. Cover and refrigerate.

CRANBERRY-LIME CURD

Steps:

• Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a double boiler over hot, NOT BOILING, water. Stirring constantly, cook until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. This should take about 20 minutes. Do not overcook.
• Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean, add lids, and tighten rings just until closed.
• Process in a PRESSURE CANNER at 10 POUNDS PRESSURE for 10 minutes. Adjust for altitude, if necessary.
• Store in the refrigerator; use within 3 months.

CRANBERRY LIMEADE

Steps:

• Bring 1-1/2 cups water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in juices, lime zest and remaining water. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve over ice and, if desired, with lime slices.

CRANBERRY-LIME PIE

Steps:

• Crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse cookies in a food processor until very finely ground (you should have about 1 cup). Add pecans; pulse until finely ground. Add butter and brown sugar; pulse to combine. Transfer to a deep 9" pie dish. Using a measuring cup, press firmly onto bottom and up sides of dish. Bake until firm and slightly darkened in color, 10-15 minutes. If crust slides down sides, gently press back up. Let cool.
• Filling and assembly:
• Bring 12 oz. cranberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat; simmer until cranberries burst and most of the liquid evaporates, 12-15 minutes. Let cool. Purée in a blender until very smooth.
• Cook purée, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lime juice, salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. lime zest in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring with a rubber spatula and scraping down sides of bowl often, until curd thickens and coats spatula, 8-10 minutes. Let cool until just warm.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat curd, adding butter a piece at a time and incorporating after each addition, until curd looks lighter in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Scrape into crust and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Bring 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add remaining 4 oz. cranberries and cook until barely starting to soften, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill until no longer sticky, 20-30 minutes.
• Toss remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp. lime zest in a small bowl. Toss cranberries in lime sugar. Top pie with cranberries; serve with whipped cream.
• Do Ahead
• Crust can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature. Pie (without topping) can be made 2 days ahead. Cover once filling is firm and keep chilled. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before serving.