From November to January, and maybe a bit longer, we always have some type of cranberry sauce/chutney in the fridge.
First … this is the season when fresh berries are easy to find on your grocers’ shelves and second … they mix really well with citrus which is also coming into season.
There are tons of sauce, dressing and chutney recipes that transform tart berries into tasty accompaniments. From a simple orange and cranberry curry, to a spicy chili infused chutney that makes any poultry or pork dish better.
Perhaps the other classic hoiliday treat is pecan pie. However, it is just too cloyingly sweet and gelatinous. Then we came across a Cranberry-Pecan Tart … YUM!
It’s a bit fiddly in that you need to move the dough into and out of the fridge a number of times. But the tart shell is better than any we’ve attempted in the past.
Then there is the sugar into caramel which is a bit scary the first time … just fight that urge to give the sugar a stir. The results are well worth the effort and it freezes well so you can have treats all through the holidays … when you get tired of cookies.
Smoked Serrano Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 smoked serrano chiles
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- 2 Tbsp crystallized ginger minced
- 1 Tbsp crushed Urfa chiles
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In small sauce pan, bring water and orange juice to a boil.
- Stir in cranberries and brown sugar.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir in remaining ingredients. Continue simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thckens and coats the back of a spoon (about 15 to 20 minutes).
- Serve warm, room temp or chilled. This also freezes well, allow to thaw on counter and microwave or stovetop reheat to have warm sauce.
Cranberry-Pecan Tart
Ingredients
tart dough
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup AP flour
- 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter cut in 1/4" pieces and chilled
filling
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbls unsalted butter cut into 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 1/4 cups pecans toasted and corsely chopped
Instructions
For the tart dough
- Whisk egg yolk, cream and vanilla together in bowl. Process flour, sugar and salt in food processor until combined (about 5 seconds). Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal., about 15 pulses. With processor running, slowly add egg yolk mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.
- Turn out dough onto sheet of plastic wrap. Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. (Wrapped dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)
- Roll dough into 11-inch circle on lightly floured counter. (If dough becomes too soft and sticky to work with, transfer to baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.) Place dough round on baking sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Remove dough from refrigerator but keep dough on sheet. Loosely roll dougy around rolling pin and gently unroll into 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into pan by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into corners with your other hand.
- Press dough into fluted sides of pan, forming a distinct seam around pan's circumference. (finished edge should be 1/4 inch thick. If some sections are too thick, press dough up over edge.) Run rolling pin or knife over top of pan to remove any excess dough. Wrap dough-lined pan loosely in plastic, place on large plate, and freeze until dough is firm, about 30 minutes before using. (Dough-lined pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month.)

- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375º. Set dough-lined pan on rimmed paking sheet. Line chilled tart shell with parchment paper or double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning , and fill with pie weights. Bake until tart shell is golden brown and set, about 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to wire rack and carefully remove foil and weights. Let tart shell cool on sheet while preparing filling.
Tart filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 325º. Pour water into medium saucepan, then pour sugar into center fo saucepan, taking care not to let sugar granules hit side of pan. Gently stir sugar with clean spatual to wet thoroughly. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring utnilsugar has dissolved completely and liquid as faint golden color and registers 300º, 6 to 10 minutes.

- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture turns dark amber and registers 350º, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Off heat, slowly whisk in cream until combined. Add cranberries and pecans and gently stir until evenly distributed and thoroughly coated in carmel. Pour filling into tart shell. Bake tart on sheet until filling is bubbling and nearly set (it should jiggle slightly when shaken), 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

- Transfer sheet to wire rack and let tart cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove outer metal ring of tart pan, slide thin metal spatula between tart and pan bottom, and carefully slide tart onto platter. Cut into wedges and serve. (Tart can be wrapped loosely in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 4 hours.)







Italian Plums.






Instead, we load the compartments of a bento box with almonds and dates.




