Cranberry Lemon Curd Tart
The dessert of the decade, I present to you the cranberry lemon curd tart - inspired by the iconic cranberry tart as seen in the New York Times.
Ingredients
FOR LEMON CURD:
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ lemons juiced
FOR CRANBERRY CURD:
- 8 oz fresh cranberries
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
FOR GINGERSNAP CRUST:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 24 gingersnap cookies
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
FOR MERINGUES:
- 4 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
FOR CANDIED CRANBERRIES:
- 2 cups sugar
- 8 oz cranberries
- ½ cup water
Instructions
FOR BOTH CURDS:
- Make a DIY double boiler by setting a glass or metal dish into a large pot filled with 1-2 inches of water. When the water is boiling, reduce to a low simmer.
FOR THE LEMON CURD:
- Zest and juice the lemons and add the zest to the sugar. Pulse in a food processor until well combined. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar with zest and lemon juice. Pour in to the double boiler. Continuously whisk until the sugar begins to melt and a smooth custard begins to form (think consistency of hollandaise sauce). Heat to 170 F.
- When the custard has thickened, remove from the heat. Cut up the butter into cubes and stir into the hot custard until melted. Press a sheet of plastic wrap to the top of the custard and then cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill completely.
FOR THE CRANBERRY CURD:
- Zest the orange and add to the sugar. Pulse together in a food processor until well combined. Add the cranberries to a skillet over medium high heat along with the orange juice and sugar. Simmer until the cranberries have softened and are beginning to pop. For best results, use an immersion blender to blend the softened cranberries until smooth. Strain the cranberries through a fine mesh sieve.
- Cut up the butter into cubes and whisk into the hot cranberry liquid. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy then pour in about a quarter cup of the cranberry liquid, while whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Return the tempered eggs to the rest of the cranberry curd and pour into a new or cleaned skillet.
- Continue to cook over medium heat until thickened - about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill completely.
FOR THE GINGERSNAP CRUST:
- Use a food processor to pulse together the gingersnap cookies, brown sugar and melted butter until fine and crumbly. Press into a greased or parchment lined pie pan or tart tin. Freeze for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake crust for 15 minutes or until golden browned. Cool completely then chill until ready to fill.
FOR THE MERINGUES:
- Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a large, clean bowl of a stand mixer (or use hand mixer). Whip on low until frothy and then gradually increase the speed while slowly adding the sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Allow the sugar to dissolve completely before adding the next spoonful (if the mixture feels gritty, the sugar has not fully dissolved). The mix should turn silky smooth and bright white. Keep whipping until stiff peaks begin to form. The mixture should hold shape - leaving a straight up point (not a curve) when the paddle is taken out.
- Preheat the oven to 225 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with your preferred tip shape. Pipe the meringue into your desired shapes and sizes on the baking sheet. Bake for one hour at 225 and then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside the oven with the door cracked until the oven is completely cool (about an hour). The meringues should be crispy.
FOR THE CANDIED CRANBERRIES:
- In a skillet over medium high heat, combine 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and is starting to become syupy - about 10 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and stir until coated and just starting to cook - about 1-2 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the cranberries from the syrup. Place on to a drying rack to dry for at least one hour.
- While still sticky, toss the cranberries in the remaining sugar until completely coated and appear to be frosted. Dry for another 2-3 hours.
TO ASSEMBLE:
- Make sure all ingredients are chilled completely and nothing is warmer than room temperature at time of assembly. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Start by filling the crust with lemon curd. Use a spatula to get a smooth surface. Pour the cranberry curd on top and again use a clean spatula to smooth out the surface as needed. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the curd is set and does not jiggle in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before transferring to the fridge. Chill for at least 24 hours.
- A few minutes prior to serving, decorate the top of the tart with the meringue and candied cranberries as desired. Don't put the meringues on too early or else they will start to dissolve after a few hours. Chill completely and enjoy!
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