Cranberry Meringue Tart
This cranberry meringue tart has a bright, smooth cranberry orange curd set inside a crisp pâte sablée tart shell. It is topped with a soft Swiss meringue that you can serve as is or lightly torch for a toasted finish. The flavor is tangy and vibrant with a rich, buttery crust and a silky, marshmallow like topping.
About this tart
The filling is a stovetop cranberry orange curd made from cooked cranberries, sugar, orange juice, eggs, and butter. The curd is thickened gently on the stove until it reaches a pudding like texture. It sets in the fridge, so the tart shell is baked fully before filling.
The crust is a classic pâte sablée, which is a French sweet tart dough with powdered sugar and almond flour for a delicate, sandy texture. It bakes into a crisp, cookie like shell that holds up perfectly to a chilled curd filling. The tart is finished with soft Swiss meringue made from egg whites and sugar warmed over a water bath, then whipped until glossy. I love the meringue topping because it’s delicious, and because it gives you a use for the leftover egg whites from the curd!
A peek at what you need
How to make it
Pâte sablée
- Start with the Pâte sablée.
- Rub butter into flour and sugar until sandy, then add an egg.
- It will make a soft and clumpy dough.
- Chill it, then roll and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan.
- Trim the edges and prick with a fork, then chill it again before baking.
The cranberry curd
- Add cranberries, sugar and orange juice to a pot and simmer.
- Blend the cooked cranberries until smooth.
- Push the mixture through a seive to remove the skins and seeds.
- Slowly add the hot cranberry mixture to whisked eggs to temper them.
- Cook on the stove until thickened, then remove from the heat and stir through butter and orange zest.
- Pour into the baked tart shell and let it chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Cooking the curd
The curd needs to get hot enough for the eggs to thicken it properly, and that happens right around the point where it starts giving slow, heavy bubbles. That gentle bubbling is your sign that the eggs and pectin in the cranberries have activated and the curd is thickening. You don’t want a rapid boil, which can scramble the eggs or make the curd grainy. Let it reach those slow, glossy bubbles for a few moments while you stir, then take it off the heat as soon as it looks smooth, shiny, and pudding like. If you have a thermometer, it should read 175 to 180 F (79 to 82 C).
Swiss meringue
- Mix egg whites, sugar, and salt over simmering water until the sugar dissolves.
- Whip into thick glossy peaks.
- Spoon over the chilled pie.
- Use a cook’s blow torch to toast the top of the meringue.
Tips
- Chill the dough before and after lining the tart pan to prevent shrinking
- Roll pâte sablée about 3 to 4 mm thick for the best texture
- Bake the tart shell fully until golden throughout
- Cook the curd slowly to prevent scrambling
- Let the tart chill long enough for clean slices
Make ahead
The tart can be made the day before. Bake the pâte sablée shell, fill it with the cranberry curd, and keep it chilled overnight. Add the Swiss meringue on the day you plan to serve it. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to three days.
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Cranberry Meringue Tart
Ingredients
Pâte Sablée
- 220 g all purpose flour
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 15 g almond flour optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 113 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 1 large egg lightly whisked
Cranberry curd
- 340 g cranberries fresh or frozen
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml orange juice
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks save the whites for the Swiss meringue
- Pinch of salt
- 55 g unsalted butter
- 1 to 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Swiss meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- 150 g granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pâte Sablée
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, and salt to a bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture looks sandy. 220 g all purpose flour, 60 g powdered sugar, 15 g almond flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 113 g unsalted butter
- Add the egg and mix until the dough comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap, and chill for an hour. 1 large egg
- Heat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Roll the dough 3 to 4 mm thick and line a 10 inch tart pan. Press it into the base and up the sides without stretching it. If you get cracks or thin spots, patch them with extra dough. Sablée patches blend in once baked, so it’s completely fine to do.
- Trim the edges and dock the base with a fork, then chill it again for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until dry and lightly golden all over. Cool completely.
Cranberry curd
- Add the cranberries, sugar, and orange juice to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst and soften, around 10 minutes. 340 g cranberries , 200 g granulated sugar, 120 ml orange juice,
- Blend the mixture until smooth in a blender and strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove skins and seeds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and salt. Slowly whisk in a few spoonfuls at a time of the warm cranberry puree to temper the eggs. 2 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks, Pinch of salt
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd becomes glossy, thick, and pudding like. It should reach 175 to 180°F (79 to 82°C) and form slow, heavy bubbles.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, orange zest, and vanilla. Let the curd cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then pour it into the cooled tart shell. 55 g unsalted butter, 1 to 2 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Chill for at least 4 hours or until fully set.
Swiss meringue
- Add the egg whites, sugar, and salt to a heatproof metal bowl. 3 large egg whites, 150 g granulated sugar, pinch of salt
- Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F (70°C).
- Transfer to a mixer along with vanilla and whip on high speed until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. Add the vanilla at the end. 1 tsp vanilla extract
Assembling
- Spread or pipe the Swiss meringue over the chilled cranberry curd. Toast lightly with a kitchen torch or leave it plain.
