Cranberry Orange Cream Tart
Food and Wine Holiday Cookbook
Food & Wine Books, Editorial Director: Judith Hill,
1996, American Express Publishing Corporation

“A creamy custard flavored with orange liqueur is topped with walnuts,
a sparkling layer of cooked cranberries, and candied orange zest in this
exceptional and elegant tart.”

Makes one 10 1/2-inch tart

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 navel oranges
One 12-ounce package cranberries (about 3 cups)
Tart Shell (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the cornstarch until smooth. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and the vanilla bean, if using, just to a boil. Strain and gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture.
2. Pour into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the custard thickens and is smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, if using, and the orange liqueur.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream just until it holds stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold into the cooled custard, cover, and chill.
4. Using a vegetable peeler, strip off the zest from the oranges. Cut the zest into matchstick strips. Squeeze the juice from the oranges. You should have 1 cup; if there is less, add enough water to make 1 cup.
5. In a small pot of boiling water, blanch the zest for 3 minutes. Drain and return the zest to the pot. Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and 1 cup of the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the syrup is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the zest and spread the strips flat on a piece of waxed paper.
6. Add the orange juice to the syrup and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Add this mixture to the cranberries, stirring, until the
liquid thickens, about 1 minute. Pour into a shallow bowl and let cool to
room temperature.
7. Fill the Tart Shell with the custard. Scatter the walnuts over the custard and top with the cranberry mixture. Sprinkle the candied orange zest around the edge. Chill the tart until ready to serve.

Tart Shell

Makes one 10 1/2-inch tart shell

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons cold water, more if needed

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the water on top and stir until just combined. If it doesn’t hold together when pressed, add more water, a teaspoon at a time. Press the dough into a flat disk and wrap tightly. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 13-inch round. Drape it over a 10 1/2-inch tart pan, press it into the
pan and against the sides, and trim it even with the rim of the pan. Prick
the bottom of the shell every inch or so with a fork. Freeze until firm, about
5 minutes.
3. Press a double thickness of aluminum foil against the dough. Bake for 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Remove the foil from the pan
and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool.
 

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Basic Pie Crust Recipes
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