Cranberry Tart
December 11, 2012 
Doesn't this just look like Christmas? I love anything with cranberries during the holidays and this tart fits right in. It's made with an easy tart dough that you can just press right into the pan. It's then filled with a creamy, cheesy filling and topped with a cranberry/orange topping that's delicious.
ceramic plate from Fifty One and a Half
If you've never made a tart before, don't be afraid of it. You don't really even have to roll out this dough like a pie dough - you can just takes pieces of dough and press it right into the pan. I roll out the dough a little and then just lay it in the pan and start pressing it over the bottom and up the sides. Easy as can be.
Cranberry Tart
Makes one 11" tart
for a printable recipe click here
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup or 12 tablespoons), cut into slices
- 3 drops almond extract
- 3 drops vanilla extract
- 2-1/2 tablespoons ice water
For the cheese filling:
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese) room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
For the cranberry topping:
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Instructions:
For the tart dough: Put the flour and sugar in a food processor. Process til blended. Add the butter in slices and process. Add the extracts and just enough water that it gathers up into a ball when you process it. Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap with a little flour to prevent sticking and chill for at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to use it. Then take it out and let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll the dough out into an 11-inch tart pan. This dough does not roll out easily like a pie dough - it is easier to press it into the tart pan. Press it evenly over the bottom and up the sides and then prick the bottom with a fork. Bake for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before filling.
For the cheese filling: Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Beat all ingredients in a mixer until smooth. Pour into tart shell. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before adding topping.
For the cranberry topping: Boil first 5 ingredients in a saucepan until sugar melts. Simmer for about 5 minutes. The cranberries will start to burst. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest. Let cool completely. Pour onto top of cooled tart and spread evenly over top.
other Cranberry recipes you might enjoy:
Reader Comments (22)
The cranberry tart looks delicious and very festive for Christmas gatherings. I can't wait to try it! your recipes have never let me down and I look forward to trying this one! Merry Christmas to you!!
Me encanta la presencía que tiene.
Por favor podías poner un traductor en tu blog, yo no se ingles.
Feliz Navidad.
This is the way to say Merry Christmas. I need to make this NOW.
As a new follower I'd like to ask you what is the picture at the top of the
blog? Did you do a post on how to make these?
From The Italian Dish:
Maria: Si usted utiliza el Chrome de Google como su navegador de Internet, contiene un traductor.
Annabelle: The picture in the banner is of Corzetti, pasta discs. Here is the post I wrote about how to make them:
http://theitaliandishblog.com/imported-20090913150324/2010/1/29/corzetti-italian-pasta-discs.html
Beautiful! Nothing beats the color of cranberries. This looks delicious.
So festive! Can this be made a day in advance? If so, should it be refrigerated?
Pretty and delicious! Love the colors!
Wow!! This was amazing!! The marscapone was delicious! And the cranberry sauce had just the right amount of sugar and orange. This is my favorite tart ever!!! And I've made a few!! Thanks so much for an incredible recipe!! Oh..... The crust is better than shortbread cookies!!!
Question: when the cranberries can't be found, please tell me something I can substitute for them. Thanks!
Even the photo makes me crazy feel like this tart :)
I just bought cranberries and so will give this tart recipe a try, as I have never had cranberry tarts before and it looks delicious.
Thanks for sharing
I have a question about the quantities in the recipe. Being European I'm not quite used to this way of expressing measurements. By 1-1/2 cups, do you mean one and a half, or half a cup to one cup? Thanks for your help! I plan to make this tart tomorrow!
From The Italian Dish:
Karolina: "1-1/2 cups" means "one and a half cups" . Hope this helps and hope you enjoy the tart!
I really hope you can respond to what is a substitute for cranberries when the 'season' is over? I'd love to make this year round. Thanks so much.
From The Italian Dish:
Anna: You can use any fruit topping for this. It doesn't have to be a cooked topping, either. You can use blueberries with sugar and a little lemon juice or even a raspberry or strawberry topping.
Thanks so much for offering me some other ideas for the topping!! Will do...even in the spring/summer.
Oh my, this is a keeper - and a pinner. What a perfect Christmas dessert.
Just discovered your website and I am in love. When can I move in? I have several of your recipes pegged for trying and can't wait to see what you come up with next.
That look so delicious. I don't care if the holidays are over, I need to make this for myself. XD
Might be a crazy question, but should the tart pan have a removable bottom? I'm dying to make this for Christmas, but only have a 9" tart pan. Since I need to buy a larger one, I just wanted to know your preference. Thanks.
Claudia
From The Italian Dish:
Claudia: You absolutely can use your tart pan without a removable bottom. Give the pan a little spray with nonstick spray before you put the dough in so it comes out easily. Enjoy!
Hello. I wanted to know if I could substitute cream cheese for marsapone?
Thank you. I love you recipes.