Food Recipes Desserts Pies & Tarts Dorie Greenspan’s Mini Cranberry Tarts 5.0 (1) 1 Review The best way to use up leftover cranberry sauce is to make it into a dessert. By Dorie Greenspan Dorie Greenspan Food writer and author Dorie Greenspan's illustrious culinary career spans over four decades. She has published 14 bestselling cookbooks (mostly on baking), including the award-winning Baking with Julia (1996), Baking From My Home to Yours (2006), Around My French Table (2011), and Dorie's Cookies (2016). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 1, 2024 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: James Ransom / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Active Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 24 mini tarts Jump to recipe These petite treats from legendary cookbook author Dorie Greenspan feature flaky pastry shells filled with a nut- and dried fruit–studded cranberry sauce. A splash of Grand Marnier cuts the sweetness while adding a hint of orange flavor. Canned cranberry sauce or leftover homemade cranberry sauce makes these bite-size desserts a breeze. A pouf of slightly sweetened whipped cream brings this dessert over the top with that right amount of creamy goodness to round everything out. No need to worry if you only have one muffin pan — you can always bake these tarts in batches. Frequently Asked Questions What is pâte brisée? Pâte brisée is a French shortcrust pastry used for pies and tarts. Unlike American pie crusts, which can use butter, oil, or shortening, traditional pâte brisée always uses butter and a technique called fraisage. This technique involves incorporating butter into flour by rubbing the butter and flour together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. What’s the difference between whole-berry and jellied cranberry sauce? There are two main types of canned cranberry sauce: whole-berry and jellied. Whole-berry cranberry sauce contains visible pieces of fruit, as the cranberries are not fully broken down. Jellied cranberry sauces have a smooth and uniform texture, as the cranberries are completely broken down. Can you freeze cranberry sauce? Homemade cranberry sauce can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag for up to three months. However, freezing canned cranberry sauce is not recommended, as the gelatin can affect the thawing process and make the sauce runny. If you have any leftover canned cranberry sauce, it's best to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen It's important to weigh down your tart shells before blind baking to keep the sides in place and prevent them from slumping. When the tarts return to the oven to finish baking, portions of the pâte brisée may puff or bubble up slightly. You can simply press them back down with the back of a spoon and continue baking. Dried pineapple or dried pears are available at most grocery stores or online at nuts.com. Make ahead Cranberry filling can be prepared through Step 1 up to five days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Pâte brisée dough can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to one month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight when ready to use. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Pâte Brisée 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 12 3/4 ounces) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup unsalted butter (8 ounces), chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 6 tablespoons ice water, divided Cranberry Tarts 1 (14-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce, or 1 1/2 cups leftover cranberry sauce 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 green Anjou pear, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups) 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup dried pineapple or dried pear, finely chopped 1/2 cup raisins 1 tablespoon grated orange zest plus 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges) 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Pinch of ground nutmeg 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts 3 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or dark rum All-purpose flour, for work surface Whipped cream (optional) Directions Make the pâte brisée Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water; toss with a fork to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons ice water; use fingers to work mixture into a dough. Gather dough into a ball. Divide ball in half; flatten each half into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each disk tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Make the cranberry tarts Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in lower third position. Stir together cranberry sauce, apple, pear, sugar, dried pineapple, raisins, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and liqueur. Transfer cranberry mixture to a medium bowl; chill, uncovered, while preparing tart shells. Let pâte brisée stand at room temperature 10 to 15 minutes if needed to soften. Unwrap 1 dough disk; roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough using a 3 1/2-inch round cutter into 12 circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Press dough circles into bottom and up sides of an ungreased 12-cup muffin tray. Prick bottom of each shell with a fork. Repeat with remaining dough disk and a second 12-cup muffin tray. Freeze tart shells for 20 minutes. Line each frozen shell with a 3-inch square of parchment paper or a paper muffin liner; fill each with 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried beans or uncooked rice, or use pie weights. Bake in preheated oven until edges of crust are set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven; carefully remove liners and weights. Return tart shells to oven; bake until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through bake time. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove tart shells from pans; cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. To assemble, divide cranberry filling evenly among tart shells (about 2 tablespoons each). Top with whipped cream, if desired. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, November 2024 Rate It Print