Thanksgiving Recipes: Cranberry Tart

I’m obsessed with this cranberry tart from Dolce Italiano. I think it’s the perfect Thanksgiving dessert- festive, yet kind of unexpected. It’s a nice change from all the pumpkin and apple and pecan pies. 

The tart has a sweet and chewy polenta crust, and a tangy cranberry filling. I like to bake it in a rectangular tart pan, as I think the presentation is a little nicer (especially given the rustic nature of the tart), but the recipe will make enough for a 10" round pan.

Cranberry Tart, from Dolce Italiano

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp

½ cup instant or fine polenta

1 ¾ cups sugar, divided

1 ¼ tsp salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 stick butter, diced

1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup light corn syrup

12 oz fresh cranberries

½ cup heavy cream

Place 1 ¼ cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, and lemon zest in a food processor and process to blend. Add butter and pulse till mixture resembles sand.

In a small bowl, beat the whole egg, 1 tsp vanilla, and olive oil together.  Add to processor and pulse until a ball of dough forms. You may need to sprinkle in a smidge of water to help it come together. When it does, turn it out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap it up, and refrigerate for at least an hour. (Dough can also be frozen at this point).

In a saucepan, melt remaining sugar over low heat. Stir in corn syrup and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and cook until they soften and release juice, about 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out your dough to fit your pan (a 12 inch circle will cover a 10” tart pan). Patch any tears with excess dough. This dough can be re-rolled easily.

In a bowl, whisk cream and 2 tbsp flour. Whisk in egg yolks, remaining vanilla, and salt. Pour over cranberries and fold together. Pour into tart shell and place on a baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes or until filling bubbles but is not firm, and pastry browns.

Cool in pan and remove sides of tart pan. Will keep in fridge, well wrapped, for several days. This tart is fine made ahead.