Cranberry Curd Tart with Gingersnap Crust

This festive cranberry curd tart with gingersnap crust, cranberry-orange curd, and swirls of lightly toasted Italian meringue is an all-out seasonal showstopper. Featuring just the right balance of tart cranberry, sweet meringue, and fiery ginger, this cranberry meringue tart captures all of the best flavors of the holiday season, making it the perfect choice for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert.

Cranberry Tart Ingredients

• Gingersnaps – You will need about 25, two-inch gingersnap cookies (ginger biscuits) to make the homemade crust. You can use store-bought cookies, or use my ginger snap recipe to make your own from scratch.
• Butter – You’ll need unsalted butter to make the crust, as well as the cranberry curd.
• Cranberries – Fresh or frozen cranberries both work nicely for this recipe. If you have extras, save them to make a batch of cranberry compote, a loaf of cranberry orange bread, or these mini cranberry apple hand pies.
• Orange Zest – Zest the fruit on a microplane rather than a box grater for the finest-possible pieces of peel.
• Orange Juice  – I juiced the fresh orange after zesting, but you can also use bottled.

• Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar for the tart, and caster sugar (or superfine) sugar for the meringue. You can also use caster for the curd—just be sure to measure by weight rather than by volume.
• Eggs – You’ll need both whole eggs and egg yolks for the curd, plus egg whites to make the meringue.
• Vanilla Bean Paste – I prefer vanilla bean paste (or the scrapings of a vanilla pod) but a good-quality extract will also work in a pinch. Avoid cheap imitation flavorings.

Tempering the Cranberry Curd

Tempering (gradually combining the hot and cold ingredients) is an important step in this cranberry curd tart recipe. Add the hot cranberry-orange juice to the cold eggs too quickly and you’re likely to find yourself with scrambled eggs, rather than a smooth and creamy cranberry curd.

Some curd recipes include a straining step after cooking. If tempered properly, your curd should not be “eggy.” You will notice small yellow pieces in the curd, but these are not egg, they’re orange zest! Don’t strain the curd or you will strain out the zest and, subsequently, the vibrant orange flavor.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Choose a tart pan with a removable bottom. Because the ginger snap crust is crumbly and delicate, I suggest using a tart pan with a removable bottom. This will make it so much easier to remove the pie after baking. But while a pan with a removable bottom is best for presentation, a standard pie plate will also work if you don’t mind serving your cranberry tart in the tin. If gifting, you can also use a disposable aluminum pie plate, or an inexpensive pie plate from a local thrift store.
• Make the crust in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, place the ginger snap cookies in a large sealed plastic bag and use a kitchen mallet to crush, then place the cookie crumbs in a bowl and use your fingertips to work in the cold butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Modify the meringue. The sky-high piles of meringue mean this tart runs on the sweeter side. I love the sweetness (and meringue!) because it complements the tart cranberries and the spicy ginger crust. If you prefer a less sweet tart, you can pipe delicate dollops or rosettes of meringue around the outer edge of the tart instead. If you go this route, I suggest halving the meringue recipe.
• Add festive garnishes. Garnish each slice with fresh cranberries or orange slices; sprigs of fresh or sugared rosemary; sugared cranberries; candied orange peels; or bits of candied stem ginger. 
• Use a digital thermometer. You’ll need a good digital thermometer to make the Italian meringue. If you don’t cook the sugar to the correct temperature, the meringue will not set properly.

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Cranberry Curd Tart

Recipe by becky

• Total TimeAbout 2 1/2 hours, including chilling itme
• Yield1 9-inch tart 1x

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Featuring a homemade ginger snap crust, cranberry-orange curd, and swirls of Italian meringue, this cranberry tart captures the best flavors of the festive season.

Ingredients

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Gingersnap Crust:

250 grams ginger snaps, store-bought or homemade (9 ounces, or about 25 2-inch cookies)
85 grams unsalted butter (6 tablespoons), cold and cubed

Cranberry Curd:

300 grams fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups; 10 1/2 ounces)
80 milliliters orange juice (1/3 cup; juice of 1 large navel orange)
150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup), divided
113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup; 1 stick), melted
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks, whites reserved for meringue
15 grams orange zest (1 tablespoon; zest of 1 orange)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Italian Meringue:

180 grams caster sugar (6 1/3 ounces; about 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
60 milliliters water (1/4 cup)
90 grams egg whites (about 3 whites)

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Instructions

Ginger Snap Crust:

Spray a 9-inch fluted pie tin with cooking spray. Line bottom with a circle of parchment.

Break the ginger snaps into pieces and add to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to create a sandy texture.

Add the cubed butter and pulse until a clumpy mixture forms.

With damp fingertips, press crust mixture into prepared tin. (Depending on the size and shape of the pan you’ve chosen, you might have a small amount of the crust mixture left over.) Freeze 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F (176° C).

Place tin on a rimmed baking tray. Bake 10 minutes.

Sit on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the cranberry curd.

Cranberry Curd:

Combine cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until cranberries soften and split and turn pulpy, about 10 minutes.

Pass through a fine mesh strainer to remove skins, using a bench scraper or flexible rubber spatula to push the cranberries through the mesh. Scrape the bottom of the strainer to remove any cranberry juice collected there.

Discard pulp. Reweigh strained cranberry mixture to 160 milliliters (2/3 cup) and return to saucepan. Whisk in half of the sugar and heat on medium-low until sugar dissolves.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, orange zest, cooled melted butter, vanilla, and remaining sugar.

Temper steaming cranberry-orange mixture into egg mixture, adding a few tablespoons at a time and whisking thoroughly after each addition.

Return to saucepan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, about 5-7 minutes or until mixture thickens. As it cooks, the curd will begin to look less red, and more rust-colored.

Pour cranberry curd into crust. There should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of room at the top.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until curd sets (it should be jiggly, but not runny.) Remove from oven and refrigerate at least 1 hour before preparing the meringue.

Italian Meringue:

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Over medium-high heat, cook sugar mixture to 240* F (116° C).

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.

With mixer running, pour hot sugar mixture into egg whites and whip until thickened and completely cool, about 5-7 minutes.

Spoon or pipe meringue onto cooled pie. Place under the oven broiler (grill) for a few minutes to brown the meringue.

This cranberry curd tart is best enjoyed on the day it is made. Wrap leftover pie in foil (or place in an airtight container) and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

 

Equipment

digital thermometer

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fluted tart pan

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food processor

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ginger snaps

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Notes

You will need a good digital thermometer for this recipe.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Freezing and Chilling Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Category: Pies and Tarts
• Method: Oven + Stovetop
• Cuisine: Dessert

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

To make ahead: You can prepare and bake the ginger snap crust up to 24 hours in advance. Keep the baked crust in the tin and wrap in plastic wrap until ready to use. Store at room temperature.

You can make the cranberry curd up to 24 hours in advance. Transfer to a bowl and cover in plastic wrap, allowing the plastic to touch the curd to prevent a tough “skin” from forming. Use a whisk or immersion blender to “knock back” the curd, making it smooth and creamy before pouring it into the ginger snap crust.

You can also make, fill, and and cool the tart a few hours before adding the meringue. For best results, I suggest adding and browning the meringue no more than 1-2 hours before you plan to serve the pie.

Other Festive Recipes You Might Enjoy

Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Christmas Cookies
Festive Cranberry Jelly Candies
Easy Mulled Wine with Citrus and Spices
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Brie and Cranberry Brownies
Cranberry Simple Syrup

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me at @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!