Kick off the Holiday Season with this Tart Recipe

As Thanksgiving has been enjoyed with turkey, cranberry, football, family, and parades, we now move forward to the Winter Solstice and Christmas.

We would like to share a family dessert tradition. The great San Francisco pastry Chef Jim Dodge is the originator of this dessert. This is a Cranberry Caramel Tart and Walnut Caramel Tart from his book The American Baker: Exquisite Desserts from the chef of the Stanford Court. This book is still available and is a treasure trove of recipes. We adapted his recipe to make our own Cranberry, Walnut, Caramel Tart.

When I met Jim Dodge, his love of pastry was very evident. Cooking lunch for him was an honor and great fun. He was very surprised to learn of our 20-year family tradition based on his recipes. We’ve adapted from and with permission of Chef Jim Dodge

This is an easy and unbelievably delicious tart that is as beautiful as it is delicious. You can make a whole pie or individual tarts. You also can use puff pastry for the crust as a substitute for a traditional pie crust. As usual in our home we have help and supervision from our feline companions.

Please serve this with a glass of Prosecco to celebrate your holiday.

Start by making Chef Dodge’s 10-inch short dough tart shell, blind baked.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 tablespoons (1/4 pound) unsalted butter (cold)
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup cold water

METHOD:

• Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces
• In a mixer, blend the butter and flour at low speed until they resemble coarse meal.
  • (You can always do this by hand with a pastry cutter or two knives
• Mix in the sugar, salt, and add them to the flour mixture, then add the cold water
• Stop once, to scrape the bowl and paddle
• Blend only until the dough just comes together
• The dough will be moist, soft, and smooth
• Chill the dough

Next, you’ll roll out the dough.

EQUIPMENT:

• Flour Brush
• Rolling Pin
• Baking Pan – I am using a removable bottom tart pan.
• Well-floured table, board, I use marble because it’s cold.

METHOD:

• Place the dough on the board and sprinkle a little flower on top
• Shape the dough into a thick circle, about 6 inches in diameter.
• Then roll out until the circle is 13 inches in diameter or a size to fit your tart pan.
• Place the circle of dough in the tart pan with it slightly overlapping the edges of the tart pan
• Create a lovely edge with hand crimping or using a fork or roll a rolling pin around the edge to make is completely smooth
• Refrigerate until firm, about 20-30 minutes

Chef’s Note: In his book, Chef Dodge has a wonderful description of exactly how to make and roll dough correctly for a perfect result. He says that the way you handle the dough makes all the difference in the texture and appearance of the finished shell.

• Preheat the oven to 400 ° F
• Line the chilled dough with a piece of aluminum foil that is at least 1.5 times the size of the baking pan.
• Fill the foil lining with pie weights or dried beans.   The shell should be nearly filled.
• Fold the aluminum foil over to the inside
• Bake for 20 minutes, the shell will be pale.
• Then remove the foil and the beans and bake for another 20 or so minutes until golden brown

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TART:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1.5 cups of whipping cream – this is optional
• 2 cups of walnut pieces (toasted in the oven)
• 2 cups of cranberries (fresh)

FILLING THE TART:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Combine the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook without stirring until all the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is a light mahogany color – 350° F on a candy thermometer.
  • You can gently swirl the pan while cooking if the syrup is not darkening evenly.
• Remove from the heat and carefully pour in the cream (if you are using cream)
  • Note: Be careful as hot syrup may splatter.
• Carefully add the walnuts and the cranberries to the hot caramel
• Stir again to thoroughly mix the fruits and nuts.
• Pour into the prepared tart pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow it to cool.
  • (This pie seems to get better overnight)

May you and your family enjoy and celebrate together. Happy Holidays from the IL Fiorello family!

Recipe is adapted with permission from Chef Jim Dodge

THE AMERICAN BAKER

EXQUISITE DESSERTS FROM THE PASTRY CHEF OF THE STANFORD COURT

SIMON AND SCHUSTER New York 1987 by JIM DODGE