Golden Recipes - Mrs. DA’s Cranberry Curd Tart

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust

10 full-sheet graham crackers

4 tablespoons brown sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cranberry Curd Filling

1 lb. fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed or store bought)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons  unsalted  butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). 

Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base with nonstick spray.

Make the crust: 

    Use a food processor to grind graham crackers into crumbs. Add in brown sugar and pulse to mix.  Then stir in the melted butter until it looks like thick wet sand.  Put the mixture into the prepared tart pan, and using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Don’t use too much pressure or the crust will get too hard. 

    Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350. Set tart pan on a cooling rack.

Make the cranberry curd: 

    Combine cranberries, orange juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. About 5 minutes in, you can start to mash the cranberries against the sides of the saucepan with your spatula to help them burst. 

    Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Transfer the cranberry mixture to your food processor and puree until completely smooth.  Pour the cranberry puree back into the saucepan.

    In a small bowl whisk the egg, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until completely combined and smooth. Then pour it into the saucepan of cranberry puree and whisk to combine.  

    Return the saucepan to the stove over medium heat and bring the cranberry curd to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 5-7 minutes until thickened, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan regularly to keep the curd from burning.  

    Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted and fully incorporated. 

    Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.  Be careful not to bump the sides of the crust so you don’t ruin the nice edge. Let cool at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours.

Garnish and Serve:

    Spread whipped cream on top of the tart and decorate with sugared cranberries, if desired. Remove the rim of the tart pan, slice, serve, and enjoy!