Orange Cranberry & Lemon Tart Recipe
This delightful Orange Cranberry & Lemon Tart combines a buttery, tender crust with vibrant cranberry and lemon curds swirled together for a beautiful and flavorful dessert. The tart offers a perfect balance of sweet and tart, featuring fresh cranberries, blood orange zest, and homemade lemon curd, baked to a silky finish and chilled for a refreshing treat.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 113g or ½ cup butter
- 250g or 2 cups flour
- 60g or ¼ cup milk
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ tsp salt
- 50g or ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 30g or ¼ cup powdered sugar
Cranberry Curd
- 340g fresh cranberries
- Juice and zest of 2 blood oranges or 1 large orange
- 220g or 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup butter (sliced into pats)
Additional
- 1 cup lemon curd (prepared beforehand, recipe yields about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Prepare Cranberry Curd: In a pot, combine cranberries, orange juice and zest, and sugar. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until most cranberries burst. Blend the mixture using an immersion blender until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove skins and solids. Whisk in eggs, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt. Return to low heat and cook gently until the curd thickens, reaching 170°F (77°C) on a thermometer. Remove from heat.
- Incorporate Butter: Place sliced butter in a bowl. Strain the curd mixture over the butter to catch any cooked egg bits. Stir until butter melts completely and curd is smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or proceed to tart assembly.
- Make Tart Crust: Add all crust ingredients to a food processor and pulse on high until a soft dough ball forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch round tart pan. Chill in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.
- Blind Bake Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cover crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans to weigh down. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove beans and parchment, prick crust bottom with a fork, reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C), and bake for another 10 minutes until golden.
- Assemble Tart: Pour cranberry and lemon curds alternately onto the baked crust, using more cranberry curd. Gently swirl the two curds together with a butter knife or skewer to create a marbled effect.
- Bake Tart: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 20 minutes until the center jiggles slightly and the edges appear set and matte.
- Chill Before Serving: Allow the tart to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to fully set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Lemon curd should be prepared in advance; this recipe uses about half a standard batch to yield 1 cup.
- Use dried beans or pie weights for blind baking to prevent the crust from puffing up.
- Ensure curds reach the proper temperature (170°F) for safe egg cooking and optimal texture.
- Swirling cranberry and lemon curds creates a beautiful marbled effect; do this gently to maintain visual appeal.
- Chilling the tart is essential for curd to set properly, making slicing cleaner and presentation better.
Keywords: orange cranberry tart, lemon tart, cranberry curd, citrus tart, holiday dessert, baked tart, fruit curd dessert
