Cranberry Crackle Tart

This cranberry crackle tart is a delicious combination of sweet meringue and tart fresh cranberries on a sweet cookie crust. 

The tart also had a layer of sour cherry jam (you can use any jam, such as raspberry, blackberry, or strawberry) spread on the sweet pastry crust. This helps keep the cranberry juices from soaking through. 

This cranberry tart is baked in a 300 degee oven for an hour. The lower temperature helps the meringue get crackly and crisp-tender without over browning. Plus, the cranberries hold their shape and do not burst at this temperature. And because cranberries are naturally high in pectin, the tart holds together really well without any other added ingredients. 

The texture is kind of like a Pavlova with fruit baked inside. 

I have made this tart many times since I first heard about it on The Splendid Table podcast, and later in Dorie Greenspan's book Baking Chez Moi: Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere (2014). The book is a collection of simple desserts from French chefs and home cooks. 

According to Dorie, cranberries, although getting easier to find, are quite dear in France, where she lives. 

How lucky are we in the U.S. to be able to buy multiple bags of them this time of year. They are so easy to freeze and use whenever we get a cranberry craving. In fact, I doubled the amount of cranberries in the recipe.. because I could! 

This tart begins with a sweet pastry crust that is almost cookie-like. It's a combination of flour, confectioner's sugar, egg, and butter (of course). It takes no time to mix together in the food processor, and you roll it out between two layers of parchment or wax paper. 

Because you trim this dough down in the pie plate, you will end up with extra dough. You can wrap it up and freeze it for later to make mini tarts or fruit filled hand pies. 

You par bake the crust under foil or parchment that is held down with pie weights. Once you've baked the crust, let it cool and fill it with the cranberries and meringue and bake the tart. 

I recommend using foil under the pie weights, or parchment and then foil, because you will want to make sure that the crust is fully covered so that it doesn't brown on the edges until you remove it. Otherwise, it might burn. 

I used a pastry/ravioli wheel to get the cute zig zaggy edge on the crust. 

We loved this tart. From the crackly meringue, the juicy tart cranberries, to the sweet crust, all of the flavors and textures go together so well. This is a cranberry lover's dessert. It's also a great way to incorporate cranberries into your holiday dinner if you want to skip the cranberry sauce. 

I only have one regular oven, which was occupied with the Thanksgiving turkey, so, the first time I made this, I actually baked this tart in my (albeit large) toaster oven. It turned out great. I've since made it several times in my regular oven as well. 

While the book says the tart should be served the same day, based on the tastiness of the leftovers, I think you could get away with making this the night before. I've been known to have leftovers for breakfast. 

This has become my signature holiday pot luck dessert, and everyone loves it. 

Cranberry Creations

• Coconut Cranberry Bars from Blogghetti
• Cranberry Apple Crisp from Art of Natural Living
• Cranberry Bliss Bars from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Cranberry Christmas Cake from Devour Dinner
• Cranberry Christmas Kiss Cocktail from Our Good Life
• Cranberry Walnut Bars from Pandemonium Noshery
• Cranberry-Walnut Oat Bread from The Spiffy Cookie
• Lemon Cranberry Scones from Palatable Pastime
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Sourdough Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls from That Recipe
• Vegan Almond, Coconut, and Cranberry Chutney from Magical Ingredients
• Winter Sangria from Fresh April Flours

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Updated post: Originally posted in November, 2014, this post has been updated with all new photos, re-written and updated information, and a printable recipe. Plus, we were able to enjoy this tart once again! 

Cranberry Crackle Tart

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 H & 15 M

This cranberry crackle tart is a delicious combination of sweet meringue and tart fresh cranberries on a sweet cookie crust.

Ingredients

For the Tart Crust

• 1 1/2 cups (204 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces; 128 grams) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk

For the Tart

• 2 tablespoons cherry (or other) jam
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
• 9 to 10 ounces cranberries (if they're frozen, don't thaw)

Instructions

To Prepare the Crust Dough

1. Put the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to blend. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely.
2. Whisk the yolk and add it slowly, pulsing after each addition. Once the egg is incorporated, process in long pulses, about 10 seconds each, until the dough forms clumps and the sound of the processor changes. Once the sound changes, stop processing.
3. Turn the dough out and knead briefly with the heel of your hand to further incorporate the butter.
4. Shape the dough into a disk and put it between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Roll the dough out to a 1/8 inch thick round.

To Prepare the Tart

1. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with spray oil.
2. Lift the rolled out pastry dough into the pie pan, with the excess draped over the sides. Gently press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan and trim the dough to about one third down from the rim of the pan. Prick the bottom of the tart shell all over with a fork and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
3. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Line the crust with a piece of parchment or a buttered piece of aluminum foil (preferred) and weight it down with rice, dried beans or pie weights. Make sure the dough is completely covered so that it doesn't over cook or burn. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the paper or foil and weights and bake for 8 to 12 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown. Set the crust on a rack to cool to room temperature.
5. To bake the tart, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
6. Spread the jam evenly over the bottom of crust. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt at medium speed just until they turn opaque. While the mixer is still going, slowly add the sugar and keep beating, increasing the speed to high, until the whites are shiny and form droopy peaks.
7. Add the cranberries to the bowl and fold them into the meringue with a rubber spatula. Spread the meringue over the jam, adding a few swirly flourishes.
8. Bake the tart for 1 hour, until the top is light beige and likely cracked a bit on top.
9. The tart can be kept in a refrigerator for about 2 days.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

252.31

Fat (grams)

11.07

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.64

Carbs (grams)

35.84

Fiber (grams)

1.52

Net carbs

34.32

Sugar (grams)

18.55

Protein (grams)

3.17

Sodium (milligrams)

82.48

Cholesterol (grams)

46.06

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/11/cranberry-crackle-tart.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

pie, tart, cranberries

Dessert

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