Cranberry desserts are not always a crowd pleaser, but I love them. Caramel and cranberry definitely is a wining combination in my book. I’ve not sampled this tart at City Bakery but I will definitely have to try a piece when I get a chance. Beautiful pictures!
Oh, wow — I have been tempted by this recipe since Smittenkitchen posted it, but was horrified by the amount of butter in the combined crust and recipe. Your crust recipe looks much more reasonable — what is the texture like. I’ve never heard of a pastry crust made in the stand mixer…
Hi Emily, it is unusual that the crust is made in a stand mixer…I thought so too. It is an adaptation of Martha Stewart’s “Tart Dough”. The texture is sort of cookie-like. Maybe close to a shortbread? But less crumbly. It is really delicious and works well with this recipe. Let me know how it goes…
Hi Ashley: I wouldn’t recommend dried cranberries here. For one, they would be way too sweet..but also part of the magic here is that the cranberries are still juicy and tart.
Hi TIM!!! I always think of you during cranberry season, so I am making this tart. I have a bag of fresh cranberries- do they have to be frozen?? There isn’t sugar added to the frozen cranberries, is there?
Thanks! and hope you are getting ready for cranberry season!
Hi Erika! I was just thinking about this tart. I use raw almonds. I have never made this with fresh cranberries, but I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work. They may break down more quickly than the frozen. If you are worried, just throw your cranberries in the freezer for a few hours. Frozen cranberries don’t have anything added to them. Let me know how it goes!
Your version includes butter in the filling that is not included in the Book of Tarts. Just checking that this is correct. The tart looks so luscious and am anxious to try.
I made this tart for Thanksgiving this year – it takes overnight for the caramel to set so don’t make this the day-of. The crust and caramel are great – but not a single person thought the bitterness of the fresh cranberries went well with the sweetness of the caramel. If I were to make this again, I would use pears instead.
I thought this recipe looked awesome and made it for a dinner party last night.
It was a big disappointment! Particularly with how much work it was.
As another reviewer said, the cranberries were very sour and were not balanced by the caramel, as I would have thought. I was embarrassed serving this to my guests.
Hi Cindy, This is why I don’t test new recipes on guests—it can sometimes backfire. I still love this recipe, and lots of Smitten Kitchen readers have made it and love it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Hope your next baking project is something you like better.
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Erikka says:
December 4th, 2008 at 10:40 am
oh man. That looks incredible and something I’d actually eat! Yum.
Kian says:
December 4th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Cranberry desserts are not always a crowd pleaser, but I love them. Caramel and cranberry definitely is a wining combination in my book. I’ve not sampled this tart at City Bakery but I will definitely have to try a piece when I get a chance. Beautiful pictures!
Emily says:
December 5th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Oh, wow — I have been tempted by this recipe since Smittenkitchen posted it, but was horrified by the amount of butter in the combined crust and recipe. Your crust recipe looks much more reasonable — what is the texture like. I’ve never heard of a pastry crust made in the stand mixer…
Tim says:
December 5th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Hi Emily, it is unusual that the crust is made in a stand mixer…I thought so too. It is an adaptation of Martha Stewart’s “Tart Dough”. The texture is sort of cookie-like. Maybe close to a shortbread? But less crumbly. It is really delicious and works well with this recipe. Let me know how it goes…
grace says:
December 6th, 2008 at 6:22 am
fact: this is one of the most luscious treats my eyes have ever seen. i hesitate to make it for fear that i’d eat the whole thing at once. :)
jd says:
December 8th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Wow – that tart is GORGEOUS!
Ashley says:
December 11th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
This sounds great! Do you whole dried cranberries would work instead of the frozen?
Tim says:
December 11th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Hi Ashley: I wouldn’t recommend dried cranberries here. For one, they would be way too sweet..but also part of the magic here is that the cranberries are still juicy and tart.
Erika says:
October 21st, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hi TIM!!! I always think of you during cranberry season, so I am making this tart. I have a bag of fresh cranberries- do they have to be frozen?? There isn’t sugar added to the frozen cranberries, is there?
Thanks! and hope you are getting ready for cranberry season!
Erika says:
October 21st, 2010 at 8:53 pm
oh, and- do you toast the sliced almonds, or just raw? Will let you know how this goes over at my dinner party.
Tim says:
October 22nd, 2010 at 5:46 am
Hi Erika! I was just thinking about this tart. I use raw almonds. I have never made this with fresh cranberries, but I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work. They may break down more quickly than the frozen. If you are worried, just throw your cranberries in the freezer for a few hours. Frozen cranberries don’t have anything added to them. Let me know how it goes!
Mary says:
November 24th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Hi Tim,
Since my tiny apartment doesn’t allow for a stand mixer, do you think making the dough by hand would irreparably harm it??
Tim says:
November 24th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Hey Mary, I am sure you can still make it work. I would definitely give it a try. Good luck!
Deborah says:
November 22nd, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Your version includes butter in the filling that is not included in the Book of Tarts. Just checking that this is correct. The tart looks so luscious and am anxious to try.
Tim says:
November 22nd, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Hi Deborah, I don’t know what the Book of Tarts is, but this recipe works as written. Happy baking!
Jessica says:
November 29th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
I made this tart for Thanksgiving this year – it takes overnight for the caramel to set so don’t make this the day-of. The crust and caramel are great – but not a single person thought the bitterness of the fresh cranberries went well with the sweetness of the caramel. If I were to make this again, I would use pears instead.
Robin h says:
March 14th, 2015 at 7:15 pm
My husband made this today! Wow, for all who say, “it looks great” — it tastes even better!
Cindy says:
November 13th, 2016 at 5:55 pm
I thought this recipe looked awesome and made it for a dinner party last night.
It was a big disappointment! Particularly with how much work it was.
As another reviewer said, the cranberries were very sour and were not balanced by the caramel, as I would have thought. I was embarrassed serving this to my guests.
Tim says:
November 13th, 2016 at 6:58 pm
Hi Cindy, This is why I don’t test new recipes on guests—it can sometimes backfire. I still love this recipe, and lots of Smitten Kitchen readers have made it and love it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Hope your next baking project is something you like better.