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Close up of a cranberry curd tart
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5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Curd Tart (mini version)

These festive Cranberry Curd Tarts are made with a shortbread-like sweet tart crust, filled with tangy and sweet cranberry curd, and topped with a vanilla meringue. Add sugared cranberries for even more color and flavor!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time15 minutes
Chill time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 12 tartlets
Calories: 256kcal

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
  • Tartlet pans or muffin tin
  • Piping bag and tips (or ziptop bag)

Ingredients

Cranberry Curd

  • 8 oz fresh cranberries
  • ¾ cup water 6oz
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter sliced into tablespoon pieces (85g)

Sweet Tart Crust

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (85g)
  • cup granulated sugar 67g
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 165g

Swiss Meringue

  • 2 large egg whites ~50g
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

Cranberry Curd

  • Add the cranberries and water to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the cranberries have all broken down and released their juices. Use a rubber spatula to help break them up.
  • Pass the cranberries through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon (and don't forget to scrape it off the bottom of the sieve). The puree should produce about ¾ cup or ~160g.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and half of the cranberry puree. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and starts to bubble (be sure to get in the corners). This usually happnens within five minutes. This will be different on every stove top – you will see a noticeable difference in the viscosity and will be able to wipe a streak through to your spatula.
  • Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in one tablespoon of butter at a time, not adding another piece until the first is totally incorporated. Add the remaining cranberry and stir to combine. At this point, if you'd like an ever darker curd, feel free to add a bit of red or pink food coloring.
  • Pass the curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any potentially cooked egg pieces. Cover the curd with plastic wrap, putting the wrap directly onto the curd to prevent a skin from forming, and chill for at least four hours in the fridge to set.

Sweet Tart Crust

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter, sugar and salt until smooth. Add in the egg and mix until incorporated, then scrape down the sides. Add the flour and mix on low until just incorporated.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a 1 inch thick disc. Place in the fridge for about two hours.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough until it’s ⅛-¼" thick. This dough is very forgiving, so if it cracks, you can patch it later.
  • Use a cookie cutter (or drinking glass) just slightly larger than your tartlet pans to cut out 12 rounds. I can typically get 9 out of the first round, then squish up the scraps, re-roll, and cut the final three. Lightly flour the cutter if it begins to stick.
  • Place each dough round into the pan and press into the sides and bottom, gently working it up the sides a bit. Transfer to a cookie sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. Also preheat the oven to 325℉/163℃.
  • Remove the dough from the freezer and dock the bottom of the tart with a fork multiple times. Line the shells with parchment paper and fill completely with pie weights (or dried beans/rice).
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and parchment, and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. When done, the middle of the tart should not look moist or raw. Remove the pans to a wire rack to cool completely, then remove the crust from the shells before assembling. They should slip right out.

Swiss Meringue

  • Fill a saucepan with about 1 inch of water and turn to high heat. Add a heat proof bowl over top that fits securely. You don’t want any of the water touching the bottom of the bowl.
  • To the bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Continue lightly whisking until the mixture is warm and the sugar granules have dissolved. Check this by rubbing your fingers together in the mixture. If you can still feel sugar granules, continue cooking. If you have a thermometer, cook it to around 150℉/66℃.
  • Once the mixture is ready, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a handhelp mixer) and whip on medium speed for about a minute.
  • Turn to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form. Once the meringue hits stiff peaks, add the vanilla then mix once more to combine. The meringue is ready when the bowl can be turned upside down without any movement or sliding and holds a peak on the tip of the whisk without falling.

Assembly

  • To assemble, pipe or spoon the curd into each tartlet shell until it’s almost full. Then, pipe or dollop the meringue on top of the curd. Lightly brown the meringue with a blow torch, or omit completely.

Notes

It's best to make the curd and tartlets shells in one day, then make the sugared cranberries, meringue and assemble the next day. The tartlet shells can be stored uncovered at room temperature until ready to assemble (no more than 3 days). 
Garnish these tartlets with sugared cranberries. Find my sugared cranberry recipe here.
Store the fully assembled tartlets uncovered in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg