Description
This Brown-Butter Cranberry Tart features a flaky, buttery tart shell filled with a rich, nutty brown butter custard and topped with a vibrant, slightly sweet cranberry compote. The combination of the tender pastry, creamy filling, and tangy cranberries creates a perfect balance of flavors and textures, ideal for holiday celebrations or any special occasion dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Tart Shell
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg yolk
Brown Butter Filling
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 1 vanilla bean (split, seeds scraped) or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cranberry Topping
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 12-oz package cranberries (3 & 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Make the Tart Shell: Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse about 4 to 5 times until the mixture resembles small peas. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter or mix by hand.
- Add Cream and Egg Yolk: Whisk the heavy cream with the egg yolk in a small bowl, then pour into the food processor and pulse several short bursts until moist crumbs form. Alternatively, mix with a spoon.
- Form Dough Disk: Turn the dough onto a work surface and gently pat into a disk without kneading to keep butter chunks intact. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes until chilled.
- Roll Out Tart Shell: On a floured surface or parchment, roll the chilled dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Fit it into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, trimming excess dough. Patch cracks with trimmings and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
- Blind Bake the Shell: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans, keeping weights off the crust rim. Bake 22-25 minutes until the edges just begin to turn golden. Remove foil and weights, bake an additional 10 minutes until the shell is light golden and no longer doughy. Place tart pan on a baking sheet.
- Brown the Butter: In a small skillet, melt butter with the vanilla bean seeds or paste over medium heat. Cook until butter turns golden and smells nutty, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon zest. Slowly whisk in the cooled brown butter. Add flour and salt, whisking until incorporated.
- Fill and Bake Tart: Pour the filling into the pre-baked tart shell. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden and just set. Avoid overbaking to keep custard tender. Remove from oven and cool on a rack about 2 hours.
- Make Cranberry Topping: In a medium pot, combine cranberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until cranberries just split and sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer cranberries to a bowl, and refrigerate for about 1 hour until cool.
- Assemble and Serve: Using a slotted spoon, arrange cooled cranberries evenly over the tart. Reserve the syrup for drizzling over ice cream or other desserts. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential for a flaky crust with visible butter layers.
- Use pie weights or dried beans for blind baking to prevent shrinking and bubbling.
- Brown butter adds a deep, nutty flavor to the filling—carefully monitor to avoid burning.
- Let the tart cool completely before adding the cold cranberry topping to prevent sogginess.
- Leftover cranberry syrup is delicious drizzled over ice cream or pancakes.
- You can substitute frozen cranberries if fresh are unavailable; rinse and thaw before use.
- If you don’t have a food processor, the dough can be made by hand with a pastry cutter or two knives to cut in the butter.
