A Cranberry Tart

I love cranberries.

Fresh cranberries

In sauce for turkey or chicken

with mustard for a spread

for pork, turkey or chicken sandwiches

in breads or muffins or breakfast or tea.

And I simply adore cranberry desserts!

This is the time of the year that cranberries are on sale.

For as little as $1 a bag!

We stock the freezer -- buying 5 or 6 bags

for in the winter we love cranberry bread for tea 

cranberry muffins for breakfast

Made with fresh (well, frozen) cranberries

Not dried ones!

And we love cranberry desserts . . .

Like this tart

Cranberries cooked in a cinnamon sugar sauce,

poured into a tart shell and baked

Served with a creme fraiche whipped cream

And garnished with a sugared cranberry

The recipe was for one big tart

But I like to serve individual desserts when I have company

They seem whole -- complete

The recipe was perfect for four of them!

A perfect dessert for a luncheon of friends

who I dubbed the "Cape Codders"

for when one thinks of the Cape,

one thinks of cranberries!

It's an easy recipe and I may just have to sacrifice one batch of tea bread

or one batch of muffins

to make the tart again!

CRANBERRY TART

1 package fresh cranberries

1 pie crust (either your own or the refrigerated Pillsbury ones)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 whole cinnamon stick

flour, for dusting

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 c. creme fraiche (if available)

Bring 1/2 cup water and the berries, sugar and cinnamon to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.    Cook, stirring, until the berries pop, about 2 minutes.    Drain in a sieve set over a bowl.    Return strained liquid and cinnamon stick to pan; reserve berries in a bowl.    Simmer liquid over medium-low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes.    Pour syrup over berries; let cool.   Discard cinnamon.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to  1/8 inch thick.    Transfer to a 9 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom (or a regular pie tin if you don’t own a tart pan).    Trim edges, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang.   Tuck edges of dough under to create a double thickness and press firmly again sides of pan.    Press bottom of dough firmly into tart pan.     Chill in freezer 20 minutes (or if you’re like me I never have room in the freezer so I refrigerate for 40 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400.   Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.    Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.    Transfer to a wire rack.    Remove pie weights and foil.   Let cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 350.    Fill tart shell with cranberry mixture and syrup from bowl.    Bake until syrup is only slighlty runny and berries begin to brown, 45 to 60 minutes.   (if pastry edges brown too quickly, cover with a band of foil).

Meanwhile, beat cream to soft peaks.   Beat in creme fraiche (if you have it); refrigerate.   Let tart cool on rack until cool enough to remove from tin.    Serve warm, with whipped cream.

NOTE:  I made 4 individual tarts instead of one big one.    I am rather fond of individual desserts!

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday!