Bake

Martha Stewart's Cranberry Tart

by:
November 15, 2024
3
1 Ratings
Photo by Nea Arentzen
  • Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 10
Author Notes

This is a simple, delicious, and very pretty dessert that requires
a baked pâte brisée tart shell and a cooked cranberry filling.
If you are entertaining, this can be made the day before and
kept chilled. It slices into lovely wedges and is complemented
nicely with dollops of whipped cream. Every Thanksgiving,
I create a list of pies to make for the farm staff. For the past three
years, this cranberry tart has been the most popular, along
with the Pumpkin Pie with Phyllo Crust (page 276). I like to use
fresh cranberries, if possible, but frozen are also acceptable.
The pâte brisée can be made in batches and frozen in flat disks
for pie making anytime. I often make four or five batches
at a time for the freezer. No excuses for lack of time when your
family needs or wants a homemade pie or tart.

Excerpted from “Martha: The Cookbook” by Martha Stewart. Copyright © 2024 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia LP.
Photographs copyright © 2024 by Dana Gallagher. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint
of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.” —Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Pâte Brisée
  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon table salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 7 to 8 tablespoons ice water
  • Cranberry Tart
  • unbleached all-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 1 disk (1/2 recipe) Pâte Brisée (see above/page 288), chilled
  • 2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 6 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar, to taste
  • 1 cup red currant jelly
  • 2 tablespoons cognac
  • whipped cream for serving, optional
Directions
  1. Make the Pâte Brisée: Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining.
  2. Drizzle 5 tablespoons ice water over the mixture; pulse several times to combine. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched.
  3. For a 9-inch pie, shape dough into 2 disks and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before using. For a single crust, like the Apple Crumb Pie (page 278 in the book), shape the dough into 1 disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before using.
  4. Make the crust: On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 13-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off any excess flour. Fit the dough into a 10-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough up to the rim of pan. Pierce the bottom of the tart shell all over with a fork. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Uncover and line the tart shell with parchment, pressing it into the edges, and fill with beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake until the sides are set and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and continue baking until the bottom of the crust is dry and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Make the filling: Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl, and let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Combine the cranberries, sugar, jelly, and cognac in a suacepan, and cook over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes. (Do not overcook, or the mixture will become too watery; the cranberries should be soft but not bursting.) Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the softened gelatin and let cool completely. Pour the cranberry filling into the tart shell and chill for at least 1 hour before unmolding and serving with whipped cream, if desired.

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