Description
An elegant Hazelnut Cranberry Curd Tart featuring a nutty, crisp crust and a bright, tangy cranberry-orange filling, perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
• 1 ¼ cups/180 grams raw hazelnuts
• 1 cup/125 grams rice flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup/112 grams sugar
• 6 tablespoons/85 grams softened butter, more as necessary
• 12 ounces/340 grams cranberries
• 1 cup/225 grams sugar
• Peel (orange part only) and juice of 1 orange (about ½ cup)
• 4 ounces/113 grams softened butter (1 stick)
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
Instructions
1. Crust: Roast raw hazelnuts at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until skins crack. Rub off skins with a towel and let cool.
2. Process nuts with half the rice flour until like coarse cornmeal. Add remaining rice flour and salt, pulse.
3. Cream sugar and butter, then mix in nut mixture to form a dough. Add butter or water if crumbly.
4. Press dough into a 10-inch tart pan, half for sides and half for the bottom. Prick the bottom. Freeze for 30 minutes.
5. Bake chilled tart shell at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool.
6. Curd: Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and peel in a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries pop.
7. Press the mixture through a food mill or sieve. Whisk in butter.
8. Lightly beat eggs and yolks. Temper eggs by whisking in a cup of warm cranberry liquid.
9. Combine tempered eggs with the rest of the cranberry mixture. Return to the pot and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
10. Cool curd to room temperature.
11. Pour cooled curd into the cooled tart shell. Smooth the top.
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set the curd. Cool on a rack.
Notes
Roasting the hazelnuts until the skins crack is key. Don’t worry if you can’t get every single bit of skin off; a few remaining bits will still yield a delicious crust.
If your hazelnut crust dough feels too dry and won’t hold together, don’t be afraid to add a little more softened butter, a tablespoon at a time, or a splash of cold water, until it forms a pliable dough.
Straining the cranberry mixture is essential for a silky smooth curd. Using a food mill is ideal, but a fine-mesh sieve works wonderfully too.
When cooking the curd, remember that low heat is your friend. Constant stirring and patience will prevent the eggs from scrambling and ensure a perfectly thickened, luscious curd.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: N/A
- Fat: N/A
- Carbohydrates: N/A
- Protein: N/A