Try This Unexpected Tart at Your Thanksgiving Table
If you love the sunny, bright flavors of lemon curd, how about a pink-hued cranberry version instead? This tangy, creamy cranberry curd sits atop a spiced cookie crust made from gingersnaps, and each slice gets finished with sugared cranberries and orange zest for some extra zip. A tart like this would be a showstopper amongst all the pies at Thanksgiving, but it’s also easy enough that you can have it throughout the brief cranberry season.
A Balance of Sweetness
Sugar is the common ingredient in the crust, cranberry curd, and sugared cranberries, but don’t reach for plain white sugar. Instead, stock up on both Sugar In The Raw® and Stevia In The Raw®. This combination gives you the best of both worlds: rich molasses flavor and color from Sugar In The Raw® and no-calorie sweetness from Stevia In The Raw®. You can cook or bake with either one, and using both here makes for a reduced-sugar tart that is still every bit as tasty. Just as it’s used here, you can use Sugar In The Raw® and Stevia In The Raw® in equal parts to lighten any recipe.
Zest Before Juicing
There’s a good dose of OJ in the cranberry curd for some natural citrus sweetness. Oranges will help temper the tartness of the cranberries. But don’t forget all that flavorful zest on the outside. Finely grate some zest for the curd and thinly slice some more zest for garnishing before you juice the oranges. If you stock up on cranberries, oranges, and some Sugar In The Raw® and Stevia In The Raw®, a delicious tart is always at your fingertips.
Reduced Sugar Cranberry Curd Tart
Prep time 40 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes
Serves 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the crust:
Cooking spray
- 1 1/2 cups
gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1/4 cup
Sugar In The Raw®
- 1/4 cup
Stevia In The Raw®
- 1/4 teaspoon
fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons
butter, melted
For the cranberry curd:
- 12 ounces
fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup
Sugar In The Raw®
- 1/2 cup
Stevia In The Raw®
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup
freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)
- 6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3
large eggs, beaten
For garnish:
- 3/4 cup
Sugar In The Raw®, divided
- 1/2 cup
water
- 1/2 cup
fresh or frozen cranberries
Thin strips orange zest
Instructions
Make the crust:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350℉. Coat a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, sugar, stevia, salt, and butter. Transfer the mixture to the tart pan and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the cranberry curd:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, stevia, orange zest, and juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the cranberries burst, about 8 minutes.
Strain the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium saucepan, pressing on the berries to extract all the juice and pulp. Discard anything left in the strainer. Stir the butter and eggs into the cranberry purée. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is steaming and thickened (about 170℉), then scrape into the crust.
Bake the tart for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the garnish:
In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the water and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, add the cranberries, and let steep 10 minutes. Strain the syrup from the cranberries and transfer the cranberries to a rack to dry for 10 minutes.
Pulse the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until finely ground. Transfer to a plate. Roll the cranberries in the sugar to coat, then place them back on the rack to dry for 10 minutes more. Before serving, garnish the tart with the sugared cranberries and orange zest.