Now I love a classic pumpkin pie or pecan pie as much as the next person, but this luscious cranberry curd tart is a holiday showstopper! A silky, tangy cranberry curd filling inside a buttery shortbread cookie crust, then topped with toasted Swiss meringue; it's truly the perfect wintery dessert!
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Ingredient Notes
You probably already have most of the ingredients you need to make this cranberry tart!
Cranberries - I prefer using fresh cranberries if possible but frozen cranberries will work too!
Orange Liqueur - This is optional, but I love the flavor that Grand Marnier or Cointreau adds to the cranberry curd!
Egg Yolks - You need 6 egg yolks to make the curd, which is why I like topping this tart with toasted Swiss meringue! The meringue will use up 3 of the leftover egg whites, and you can use the other 3 making macarons!
Shortbread Crust - You just need flour, sugar, and butter for this shortbread cookie crust! But you could also use flaky pie crust, or a cookie crust like the one from this custard tart!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Shortbread Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Then fold in the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
Press the dough into your tart pan, then poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to allow air to escape while baking.
Place the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking. This ensures that the crust won't sink in your tart pan.
Bake the crust at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling (the crust does not have to cool completely before filling).
How to Make Cranberry Curd
Homemade cranberry curd is surprisingly easy to make! You just need a couple tools to set you up for success.
- Double boiler - A double boiler is necessary to ensure that the egg yolks cook slowly and evenly because no one wants chunks of scrambled egg in your curd. You can buy a double boiler but it's super easy to just fashion one yourself. To make a double boiler, simmer 1-2 inches of water in a small saucepan until it's steaming. Then place a heavy bowl (I prefer glass bowls but stainless works too) on top that's large enough to not touch the water, but not so big that it won't sit on top. That's it! Just be sure to periodically check to make sure there is still water in the bottom saucepan because you don't want it to all evaporate.
- Silicone whisk - I prefer using silicone and glass as opposed to metal when cooking with acidic ingredients like cranberries so that you don't end up with a slightly metallic taste.
- Fine mesh strainer - You always want to pass the cranberry curd through a strainer to make sure to remove any bits of egg that may have cooked unevenly.
Add the cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries split open, about 10 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the skins and seeds. The cranberries don't pass through easily, so you need to press it through with a spoon or spatula (you can also pulse a few times in a blender or food processor to make it a little easier to strain). You should end up with about 1 cup of thick cranberry puree.
Create a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top and make sure it's not touching the water.
In the glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
Then add in the cranberry puree, orange liqueur, and vanilla. Continue to whisk the curd over the double boiler for 10-15 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (If the curd isn't thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk).
Once thickened, remove the glass bowl from the heat. Cut the butter into chunks and whisk into the cranberry curd until fully combined and smooth.
Pass through fine mesh strainer and then pour into the par-baked shortbread crust.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the curd is set and the center jiggles slightly.
Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
How to Make Swiss Meringue
Swiss meringue is cooked lightly over a double boiler before whipping which adds stability to the meringue and also makes it safe to eat! Note: Depending on the type of bowl you use, it may take longer for the swiss meringue to cool. A stainless steel mixer bowl is best (they cool the fastest and are the most heatproof)!
To make meringue, you really need a stand mixer. A hand mixer will do in a pinch, but be forewarned that your arm will get tired!
In the bowl of a stand mixer (make sure your bowl is heat safe - stainless steel is best), whisk the sugar and cream of tartar into the egg whites then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out (about 3-4 minutes). If using an instant thermometer, it should read about 160°F.
Place the bowl on the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. If it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Add the Swiss meringue to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip, and pipe designs on top of the cranberry curd tart.
Then use a culinary blow torch to lightly toast the meringue.
You could also garnish this cranberry curd tart with these festive sugared cranberries!
This cranberry curd tart is best eaten the same day, but will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Tart Making Tips
Most standard tart pans are about 1 inch deep. So if you're using a deep dish pan (1 ½ to 2 inches deep) this recipe will not yield enough filling to completely fill your pan and you may want to double it.
This recipe can be used to make a few different sizes of tart!
- 1 - 9.5 inch tart
- 2 - 7 inch tarts
- 6 - miniature tarts
If you don't want to make the shortbread cookie crust, you can also use a classic pie crust recipe! Use ½ of my perfect pie crust to fill a 9.5 inch tart pan!
Recipe FAQ's
You can make the cranberry curd in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Cranberry Curd Tart with Toasted Meringue
Special Equipment
- double boiler
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- pinch kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Cranberry Curd
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- ¼ cup orange juice, about 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, about 1 orange
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon orange liqueur , Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Swiss Meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Then fold in the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
- Press the dough into your tart pan and then poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to allow air to escape while baking.
- Place the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before baking. This ensures that the crust won't sink in your tart pan.
- Bake the crust at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling (the crust does not have to cool completely before filling).
Cranberry Curd
- Add the cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries split open, about 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the skins and seeds. The cranberries don't pass through easily, so you need to press it through with a spoon or spatula (you can also pulse a few times in a blender or food processor to make it a little easier to strain). You should end up with about 1 cup of thick cranberry puree.
- Create a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top and make sure it's not touching the water.
- In the glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Then add in the cranberry puree, orange liqueur, and vanilla. Continue to whisk the curd over the double boiler for 10-15 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (If the curd isn't thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk).
- Once thickened, remove the glass bowl from the heat. Cut the butter into chunks and whisk into the cranberry curd until fully combined and smooth.
- Pass through fine mesh strainer and then pour into the par-baked shortbread crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the curd is set and the center jiggles slightly.
- Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
Swiss Meringue
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (make sure your bowl is heat safe - stainless steel is best), whisk the sugar and cream of tartar into the egg whites then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out (about 3-4 minutes). If using an instant thermometer, it should read about 160°F.
- Place the bowl on the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. If it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Add the Swiss meringue to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip, and pipe fun designs on top of the cranberry curd tart.
- Then use a culinary blow torch to lightly toast the meringue.
- You could also garnish this cranberry curd tart with these festive sugared cranberries!
- This cranberry curd tart is best eaten the same day, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Notes
- 1 - 9.5 inch tart
- 2 - 7 inch tarts
- 6 - miniature tarts
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Michelle Tervo says
This is a beautiful photo of your Cranberry Curd Tart with Meringue. I will be making it soon!