Guest Post: Cranberry Almond Cinnamon Tart

My friend Emily introduced me to today's guest poster, Sabra. Shortly thereafter, I had this lovely photo in my inbox. I'm so glad Sabra has offered to share her experience making this gorgeous, seasonal tart. And I hope I get invited to more dinner parties in Madison...


Among the dinner party crowds in Madison, I’m becoming known as “The Dessert Lady.” This distinction has reached the point that a savory departure from my routinely sweet contributions is often met with looks of disappointment. In actuality, I love my role as the provider of a sweet ending to counter the savory appetizer and main course dishes. And despite the time-intensive nature of many of my creations, they are always rewarded with smiles and compliments from the dinner party-goers.

The Cranberry Almond Cinnamon Tart is my latest dessert creation (thank you Martha!), made for a Thanksgiving-themed dinner party before the actual Thanksgiving holiday. This is the third time I’ve made this particular recipe: the first time in its current incarnation, and the second time with raspberries and raspberry jam instead of cranberries. Among those who frequently find themselves on the recipient end of my desserts, this recipe is often requested for special events such as birthdays. Although this is one of those “time-intensive” recipes, it’s well worth it for the delicious results.

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon water
flour for dusting
Pâte Sucrée (recipe to follow)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
8 ounces cranberry jam or preserves (I used canned organic whole fruit cranberry sauce)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole almonds, finely ground in a food processor
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the Pâte Sucrée (recipe below). The dough needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour, so I recommend making it in advance.

On a lightly floured work surface (or on a piece of wax or parchment paper), roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle, 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Transfer it to an 8 x 2 inch springform pan, pressing the crust into the bottom and up the sides. Trim the excess flush with the rim. A larger springform pan can also be used, but the crust won’t be as high. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the fresh cranberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and the water into a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until the cranberries have just softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely.

Prick the tart crust all over with a fork. Cut a 12-inch round of parchment (or tinfoil) and place it on top of the chilled crust. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans (I used barley, for lack of a better weight cupboard). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, and brush crust lightly with egg white. Return it to the oven, and bake until pale golden, about 25 minutes. Refrigerate remaining egg white. Let crust cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees. Spread jam (or preserves or sauce) over the bottom of the tart crust.

Beat the butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to medium. Slowly add ground almonds, cinnamon, and salt, and beat until just combined. Spread mixture over jam-covered crust.

Bake tart until the filling is set and has darkened slightly, 45-50 minutes. (If it darkens too quickly, cover it loosely with foil while it is baking). Remove tart from the oven, brush top with remaining egg white, and sprinkle with sugar. Return to the oven, and bake for 5 minutes more. Let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove it from the pan, and top with candied cranberries.

Pâte Sucrée
1 1/4 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Lightly beat the yolk with ice water. With the processor running, add the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, and process until the dough just holds together (no longer than 30 seconds).

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).