A Life, Lived: Cranberry Tart with Polenta Crust

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I wanted something a little diferent for dessert on Christmas day. I knew that after a huge meal we wouldn't want anything too substantial. I had lots of cranberries in the freezer so I finally decided upon this tart from Gina dePalma's cookbook Dolce Italiano. I knew if Gina developed the recipe it would wow our guests.

It did!

This cranberry tart has a slightly sweet filling, punctuated by puckery cranberries. The polenta crust is a whiz -- especially for those like me who would rather by pass the dough. Rest easy, this one comes together in a snap and rolls out beautifully and the filling comes together in mere minutes. Serve your tart at room temperature or slightly warm.

This colorful tart is a showstopper for the holidays.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Tart with Polenta Crust
adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen,
by Gina DePalma

Cranberry Tart Filling
Makes One 10-inch Tart, 8 to 10 Servings

Polenta Tart Crust (see below)
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. and position a rack in the center

On a floured board, roll the tart dough into an 11-inch circle 1/8-inch thick.Transfer the dough to a 10-inch tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom by rolling the dough around the pin like a carpet and then rolling it on to the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then trim it so it is flush with the top of the pan. NOTE - be sure that the tart pan has sides at least an inch to 1 1/2 inches high.

Chill the tart shell while you make the filling.

Sort through the fresh cranberries to make sure there are no stems, bruised or soft berries.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and corn syrup.

Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cranberries and continue to cook over medium heat until the berries just begin to soften and pop, about 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissipate the heat.

In another bowl, whisk together the cream, egg yolks, vanilla extract, flour, and salt.

Pour this mixture over the cranberries and stir gently.

Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell.

Place the tart on a large baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the crust has turned golden brown and the filling is set; it may jiggle slightly but should not be liquid.

Allow the tart to cool completely on a rack before carefully removing the sides of the tart pan.

Serve at room temperature or slightly reheated.

Wrapped in plastic, the tart will keep in the refrigerator for a few days

Polenta Tart Crust

This dough is especially good with berries, cherries, and plums, as the chewy texture and yellow hue provide a colorful contrast to soft, succulent fruits.

Makes one 10-inch tart shell

1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup instant or fine polenta (cornmeal)
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
½ cup (1 stick/4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the flour, polenta (cornmeal), sugar, salt and lemon zest into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine them. Add the cold, cubed butter to the bowl and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand and no large lumps of butter are visible.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, olive oil, and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the food processor and pulse just until a ball of dough forms.

Form the dough into a disk and tightly wrap in plastic.

Chill the dough until it is firm enough to roll, at least 1 to 2 hours.