I absolutely adore these Cranberry Caramel Tarts. This was one of those desserts that I knew would be a favorite of mine, even before I tried it. And I was oh, so right, even with my ridiculously high expectations. The thing is, I REALLY love caramel. And cranberries. And almonds. These Cranberry Caramel Tarts may as well be named, Barrett’s Favorite Things Tarts. The tart cranberries balances out the sweet, rich caramel. Speaking of caramel, it’s one of those things that cooks can really fear, and to be fair it can be tricky for a variety of reasons, but the caramel in these Cranberry Caramel Tarts is a good beginner caramel recipe. After the caramel is made, it is baked in the tart, so the caramel filling will heat up, smooth out, and tends to come out well in the end even if it’s not perfectly smooth going into the oven. As if the wonderful filling weren’t enough to make this dessert stand out, a crust made with almond flour adds richness, tenderness and crunch. Finally, using slivered almonds, well, that’s my modus operandi; it ensures plenty of texture and almond taste. I serve these Cranberry Caramel Tarts with a little crème fraîche for a little tang- SO, so good.
Cranberry Caramel Tarts
Ingredients
crust
- 13 tablespoons 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter; diced
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup unbleached flour
- ¾ cup almond meal I like the more course one that still has skins in it, but any is fine
filling
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter cut into eight pieces
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cup frozen cranberries
- 2 cups slivered almonds
- crème fraîche for serving
Instructions
- Place the powdered sugar, flour and almond flour in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add butter.
- Pulse until small peas form.
- Add the egg yolk. (If it’s too dry you can add 1 tablespoon ice water). Combine the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (freeze half if you’re making two 9 inch and you want to do the other one later).
- When handling dough, the quicker you can work the better, so it doesn’t become sticky. For the mini tarts, cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Sprinkle your work surface with a thin layer of flour.
- Roll out the dough into a circle to fit your tart pan (I like the crust really thin).
Trim the edges flush with the top of the ring. Prick all over with a fork and freeze for 1 hour. - Heat the oven to 350° F. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes (a little longer for the 9 inch) until the dough is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before filling.
- Keep (or preheat) the oven to 350° F.
- To make the caramel, spread the sugar evenly in a perfectly dry, deep 10-inch skillet and place it over medium-low heat. The sugar should turn straw-colored, then gold and then a nutty-brown caramel after about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk the cream and butter into the sugar (it will likely splatter, so take care).
- If the caramel seizes, return it to the heat and continue to stir until it is smooth. Stir the frozen cranberries and almonds into the caramel and mix until all the fruit and nuts are coated.
- Spoon the filling into the partially baked tart dough mounding toward the center. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling around the edges. Let cool until the filling is firm.
- Serve with a little crème fraîche.
