Cranberry curd tarts have been all the rage since a recipe was posted on NYT Cooking last fall. I wanted to try the curd for my Thanksgiving dessert this year but didn’t want to eat an entire tart full of curd. That just seems like overkill for Thanksgiving.
Good thing I LOVE layered tarts. Pairing a few fillings with the perfect crust is such a fun seasonal challenge. My Earl Grey, Lemon, and Lavender Tart and Dark Chocolate Espresso Tart have hundreds of thousands of pins. I think it’s because they’re so purty on top with their roses and stars. When I decided to make a tart with cranberry curd and white chocolate I imagined putting the cranberry curd on the bottom so I could pipe some lovely white chocolate mousse roses on the top. But once I saw the beautiful color of the cranberry curd, I just couldn’t cover it up.
It turns out that was a great choice. The white chocolate mousse is perfect for the base. It is super light and silky and doesn’t leach moisture into the crust. And the cranberry curd on top? Ermagerd, it is so tart and sharp. Perfect with the light mousse and a great big cranberry flavor. I am so excited to make this for Thanksgiving. I might even skip the Chewy Molasses Cookies I almost always make. This tart is the alpha and omega.
Biscoff Cookie Crust
I made a few versions of this. The first was a gingersnap crust with some added crystallized ginger. It was super yummy but just too hard to cut and too firm in comparison to the filling. I wanted something akin to a graham cracker crust but with more flavor and spice. So i ground up some Biscoff cookies and added some butter. Voila! A crust with a sandy and tender texture that holds it’s shape during the blind bake and releases easily from the pan. Best of all, the knife just drops right through, giving you pretty slices with clean edges.
A few things to know about this Cranberry Curd Tart:
- I used a deep pan with a removable base intended quiches like this one
. I like this because it leaves plenty of room for the whipped filling and I like a bit of extra crust up around the rim. If you use a traditional tart pan you may find you have too much filling. No worries, you can easily put any extras in little glasses or eat straight out of the bowl when no one is looking.
- When making the cranberry curd, use a food mill if you can. Your curd will thicken more easily and have more flavor. If you sieve it through mesh, prepare to put in some elbow grease.
- The temperatures are important when making the mousse. The white chocolate and milk should be as close to the same temperature as possible before combining so the chocolate doesn’t seize. And then you’ll need to let the whole mixture cool substantially before folding in the whipped cream.
- This is a perfect dessert to make a few days ahead of time. You can bake the rust and make the curd up to two days before. One day before, make the mousse, fill the shell and let set up overnight. The day of serving, add the curd, decorate and EAT. If you try making this all in one day, you risk not having enough time for layers to cool and set. TL;DR: Soupy mess.
- A few sprigs of rosemary, some crushed cookies, and a handful of fresh cranberries dusted with edible gold luster dust make an elegant holiday decoration.
- The tart shell and curd can be made ahead and frozen. The mousse must be made and stored in an airtight container for up to a week, but it can’t be frozen. The gelatin will break down if frozen and the mousse will lose it’s volume and texture.
. I like this because it leaves plenty of room for the whipped filling and I like a bit of extra crust up around the rim. If you use a traditional tart pan you may find you have too much filling. No worries, you can easily put any extras in little glasses or eat straight out of the bowl when no one is looking.
More Show Stopping Tarts From Bakers Brigade:
Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream
Earl Grey, Lemon and Lavender Tart
Lilac and Violet Panna Cotta Tart
| Servings |
slices
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- 12 ounces Biscoff cookies
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin I use Knox
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 4 ounces white chocolate chips I like Ghirardelli
- 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- juice of one orange
- zest of one orange
Ingredients
Biscoff Crust
White Chocolate Mousse
Cranberry Curd
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- Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Then microwave for 15-30 seconds until just dissolved. Do not boil!
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth and melted. Heat the milk in the microwave until just steaming, about 30 seconds. Add milk to white chocolate, whisking vigorously until smooth. Add gelatin and whisk again until smooth. Let mixture cool to 85 degrees or less but do not let it resolidify.
- Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium-stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Then add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold into the chocolate mixture.
- Spoon into cooled tart shell, smooth the top with an offset spatula and allow to set in the fridge for a few hours or covered overnight.
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and orange peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have softened and begin popping, 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer to a food mill or a medium mesh sieve and press the liquid into a bowl. Stir in the butter until smooth.
- Combine eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat lightly. Slowly add a cup of the warm cranberry liquid into the eggs, whisking constantly to temper. Add the rest of the cranberry liquid, one cup at a time until combine.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan (wiping out of necessary) and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. You can use the curd now or store it in the fridge in an airtight container for several days or in the freezer for several months.
- Carefully spread the room temperature curd over the mousse layer. Let set up in fridge for a few hours until completely chilled. Decorate to taste and serve.
Hi! Just wondering, do you think it would be Okay to reverse putting the mousse down first and the curd on top, and have the curd on the bottom instead?
I ask because I’m going to have a small helper making this in a few weeks and if she’s insistent, I would like to know if there may be an issue, or what the best explanation would be so she learns.
Thank you kindly!
This would absolutely work either way! Might get soggy slightly more quickly but should be fine for a few days ❤️ If you do it, put a pic on Pinterest
Could you use a food processor or a Ninja blender to process the cranberry mixture? Would you then need to strain it to get any pieces out?
This sounds absolutely delicious and I am looking forward to your answer!!
Hi Ruth! You could absolutely do that 🙂
Is it possible to use dark chocolate instead of white chocolate for the mousse, or would you suggest just using a ganache?
Thank you!
Absolutely Rebecca! Let me know how it turns out ❤️
I’ve made the crust and put mousse inside and it’s set. I’ve also made and refrigerated the curd- can I layer it all up now and put back the the fridge until Xmas day?
Hi Charlotte! I would wait until tomorrow if you can. It will be good regardless, but the crust will be crisper if you wait ❤️
hi, what is the metric measurement of 1 stick of butter and 1 orange juice?
Hello Frank! 1 stick of butter is 110 grams. For the orange juice, 60-80ml is typical. Good luck!
Hi Jane, I want to cut up the curd and place it into a mousse filled dome shaped mold and freeze it. May I know if the curd is hard enough to be cut up? Thanks.
Hello Choo Kee 🙂 This curd will not get firm enough the cut into cubes. It has the consistency of a pudding, just like a lemon curd. I could suggest adding some gelatin during the end of the heating phase if you want it to be firmer. I’m not sure how much you would need, but I’d guess .25-.5 ounces. Let me know how it goes!
I’d like to try to make individual tarts in muffin tins… Have you ever tried that? It seems like it could work but wondered if you had any hints to make it wonderful!
Thank you so much
This was a huge hit for our Thanksgiving dinner. I followed it exactly. Made the crust and the curd two days before thanksgiving. The day before I made the white chocolate mousse layer and adding it to the shell. The morning of Thanksgiving I added the curd. I also candied some cranberries to garnish it.
I’d like to make a dairy-free version of this for a friend. I’m thinking I can substitute coconut oil for butter in the crust and coconut cream for whipping cream in the mousse. Do you think that would work, and would the flavor be okay? Any suggestions? Thanks!
I don’t have much experience with whipping coconut cream, but have had success using the Whole Foods brand, chilling it overnight in the fridge and then using just the solid, not the liquid part. Coconut oil should work for the crust I think. Let me know how it goes!
Hi, I attempted to make the curd portion last night, with the intent to freeze it to make the pie next week (busy working mom, planned to make the crust tomorrow and freeze too). I pulled it from the fridge tonight, and it’s definitely not set up at all. Is there a way to save it? Or any idea what I may have done wrong? It’s such a beautiful pie, I so want to make it!
Hi Casey, sorry to hear that your curd didn’t set up, frustrating!
I think you have two things you can try: firstly you can try putting it back on the stove and cooking at a very low heat for 10-12 more minutes then chill again completely. If that doesn’t work, you can try adding a bit of bloomed gelatin and heating for a few minutes.
Please let me know how it goes!
This looks delicious! Hoping to make it for Christmas, but won’t really have time during the few days before to make it. Could I make the entire tart like a week in advanced and then just freeze the whole thing? Or do you recommend freezing each element individually and assembling right before eating?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try this out!
I definitely think you could freeze this. I actually might try that myself!
What is this tart garnished with in the pictures?
The garnish in the photos is a combination of fresh cranberries dusted with gold luster dust, pieces of Biscoff cookies, rosemary sprigs and white nonpareils. But this one is pretty with no garnish too!
When freezing the curd and/or the entire tart, what’s the best way to thaw it? Pull out a day in advance into the fridge? Or leave on countertop? Thanks!
I would wrap up well before freezing and then thaw in the fridge for a day before unwrapping <3
Could I use something other than Bischoff cookies for the crust?
Hi Sheri! Yes, you could substitute with graham, crackers or use your favorite graham cracker crust substitute 🙂
I don’t have a tart pan. Do you think this could work as a pie? Either deep dish or regular? It looks and sounds so good, I’d like to make it for Thanksgiving this year.
I don’t have a tart pan. Do you think this will work as a pie? Deep dish or regular? This looks and sounds so good I want to make it for Thanksgiving.
If I wanted to do a raspberry curd instead, could I just replace the cranberries with raspberries?
I make one of yours every year to serve at Christmas Dinner. This year, I chose to make this one and it was another huge hit (along with the Espresso and the Earl grey ones previously). Thank you so much. I am already looking forward to next years!