Cranberry Lime Tart

Tip from Nemmie #87: If left too long in the microwave, white chocolate will catch on fire.

Just one of a few technical problems I had with this tart. Yes, I was too lazy to do the double-boiler thing over the stovetop, and nuked my white chocolate. And made my house smell very, very bad. I also bought a ganky bag of cranberries (shame on you, Oceanspray), so I didn't have enough for my tart. They don't completely cover the top in their ruby-jeweled glory as they are supposed to. And also, I think I baked my crust a wee bit too long, although I will blame this one on the new heating element in my oven not being calibrated correctly. So yeah, definitely not the most beautiful tart ever made.

Ahem. I got this recipe from epicurious.com, it was gorgeous looking and sounded really interesting. It is actually very easy, just has several steps. And the taste is definitely different: tart cranberries that pop in your mouth when you take a bite, surrounded by their sticky-sweet and spicy glaze, and perched on a deliciously sour lime curd and more sweet in the white chocolate layer. Plus a lovely almondy crust. Very interesting flavor combinations! And I think (if made with the correct number of cranberries) something that would look quite lovely on the Thanksgiving table. A nice change from the usual old pumpkin pie.

Cranberry Lime Tart

Ingredients:

Lime curd

1/2 c. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

3/4 c. sugar

6 large egg yolks

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 1/2 tsp. grated lime peel

Crust

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. whole almonds, toasted, cooled

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cranberry Topping
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2/3 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder (optional; I used a mixture of ground cloves and cinnamon) 1 12-oz. bag (3 cups) fresh cranberries or frozen, partially thawed

White Chocolate Cream

5 oz. white chocolate, chopped

1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sour cream

1/2 tsp.vanilla extract

For lime curd: Whisk lime juice and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in sugar and yolks, then add butter. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture simmers and thickens, about 8 minutes. Strain into small bowl. Mix in lime peel. Cover; chill overnight.

For crust: Finely grind flour, sugar, almonds, and salt in processor. Add butter and vanilla; cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture just forms soft moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using thumb, press dough up sides to extend 1/8 inch above rim of pan.

Freeze crust 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until golden brown, pressing with back of spoon if crust bubbles, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

For cranberry topping: Whisk 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in heavy large saucepan to blend. Add sugar, honey, and five-spice powder, if desired. Stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil. Add cranberries; cook until mixture boils and berries just begin to pop but still maintain shape, occasionally stirring gently, about 5 minutes. Cool completely (mixture will thicken).

For white chocolate cream: Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water; whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Cool completely. Spread white chocolate cream into crust; freeze 15 minutes.

Spoon curd over; spread evenly. Spoon cranberry topping by tablespoonfuls over, then spread carefully to cover completely. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Remove pan sides; transfer tart to platter.