Cranberry Linzer Tarts Food

CRANBERRY LINZER TART

Steps:

• Filling:
• Bring cranberries, sugar, ginger, butter, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent scorching and help dissolve sugar. Continue to cook, stirring often, until cranberries burst, mixture is syrupy, and pot is visible when a wooden spoon is dragged across the bottom (mixture should be reduced to about 1 3/4 cups), 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Dough and assembly:
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
• Pulse walnuts, granulated sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, and 2 cups flour in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and pulse until largest pieces are pea-size. Add 1 egg and process in long pulses until dough forms a ball around the blade. Divide dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic, flattening into a 1/2"-thick disk. Press the remaining half into tart pan, working it across bottom and up sides with floured hands to create an even layer. Chill the dough in the pan and the wrapped dough until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• Scrape filling into crust and spread into an even layer. Unwrap remaining dough and roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, to a 1/8"-thick round. Cut dough into 8 strips. Arrange strips over top of tart in a crosshatch pattern (this dough is delicate,so don't fuss with strips too much once they're on the tart). Pinch off excess dough and press strips into edges to adhere. Chill 15-20 minutes.
• Beat remaining egg in a small bowl and brush over crust. Bake tart until crust is golden brown around the edges and golden across surface and filling is bubbling, 45-55 minutes. Let cool.
• Just before serving, remove ring from pan and dust tart with powdered sugar.
• Do Ahead
• Filling can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to a nonreactive container; cover and chill. Tart can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

CRANBERRY LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat to a brisk simmer and stir frequently, until cranberries burst. Continue cooking, mashing fruit a bit with the back of a spoon, until thick as jam, about 30 minutes. Set aside. (Filling may be prepared in advance.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place hazelnuts and almonds on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, until well browned. Rub skins off hazelnuts while still warm, discarding skins. Cool nuts, then grind finely in a food processor, adding 3 tablespoons of flour to keep them from becoming oily. (Nuts should have the texture of coarse cornmeal.) Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, combine butter, sugar, and lemon and orange zest. Beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, mix together ground nuts, the rest of the flour, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture in three parts, mixing each time until it forms a slightly sticky dough.
• Divide dough into two pieces, one slightly bigger. Form larger piece into a ball, wrap and flatten to a 1-inch thickness. Form smaller piece into a rough rectangle, wrap and flatten to a 1-inch thickness about 4 by 5 inches. Chill 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 11-inch fluted French tart pan. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes. On floured parchment paper, roll the larger piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, dusting the top with flour as necessary. If dough is difficult to handle, chill again. Pat evenly into pan until sides and bottom are completely lined with dough about 1/8-inch thick. Refrigerate or freeze tart shell until firm.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on floured parchment paper to rectangle about 10 by 12 inches and 1/8-inch thick. Cut into strips about 3/4 inch by 12 inches. Transfer parchment to a tray and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
• Spread cranberry jam evenly into shell. Lay strips across top in a lattice pattern. Form remaining dough scraps into a rope 1/2 inch in diameter and use it to encircle outer edge of tart. Score diagonally with the handle of a spoon or flute with fingers to make a border.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until jam is bubbling and pastry is lightly browned. Let cool, and dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve in small wedges.

CRANBERRY CORNMEAL LINZER COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat 3/4 cup butter and and white sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat egg into butter mixture.
• Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir. Beat vanilla into butter mixture. Form dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
• Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough with a round or Linzer cookie cutter. Use a smaller cutter to cut the center from the tops. Place cookie bottoms and tops 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• Stir cranberries, brown sugar, and water together in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir butter and lemon juice into cranberry mixture; remove from heat and cool.
• Spread a small amount of the cranberry mixture onto one side of the bottom half of a cookie. Place the top half of the cookie on top of the cranberry mixture. Repeat assembly process with remaining cookies and cranberry filling.

CRANBERRY LINZER TARTS

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, sugar, zest, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer until fresh cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes.
• Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving liquid in the pan. Reduce liquid over low heat until thick, about 10 minutes. Pour over cranberries and mix well. Set aside to cool.
• Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Line a 9-inch tart pan or eight 3-inch tart pans with dough. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Roll out remaining dough to make lattice or leaves to decorate top. Chill on a baking sheet until firm.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill tart shells and decorate tops, attaching lattice or leaves with a bit of ice water. Bake until pastry is brown and filling is bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes.

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.

EASY LINZER TART

Steps:

• Mix dough, nuts, flour.
• Pat 3/4 dough in 9 in.
• tart pan.
• Spread with preserves.
• Roll remaining dough in 8 (10") ropes.
• Make lattice; seal to edge.
• Bake at 350F 42 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Dust with confectioners sugar.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE TART

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar (in a stand mixer, or with a hand-held electric beater) on low speed until well-mixed. Add the egg in three doses, about 1 tbsp at a time; wait until each is fully incorporated, and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next. Add salt, orange zest and optional orange oil. Sift flour, and add to bowl. Mix on low speed about 20 seconds, until a loose dough is formed. Wrap in plastic and pat into a flat disc. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Roll dough out to about 1/8" thick. Place dough into a 12" tart pan. Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork or rolling docker. Cover dough with parchment or foil and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake another 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, grated ginger and salt. Beat with paddle attachment until fluffy and well mixed. Refrigerate until needed.
• Combine cranberries, orange juice, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes, then cover tightly and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Whip heavy cream and sugar until thick and holding fairly stiff peaks. Fold in orange juice and orange zest.
• Spread cream cheese evenly over bottom of tart crust with an offset spatula, filling the corners. Pour the cranberries over the cheese and spread evenly. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of diced, candied ginger.