Buttery Cranberry Tartlets (Printable View)

Buttery tartlet shells with tangy cranberry compote and almond cream for festive elegance.

# Ingredient List:

→ Tartlet Shells

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1 large egg yolk
05 - 1–2 tablespoons cold water
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Cranberry Filling

07 - 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
08 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup orange juice
10 - 1 teaspoon orange zest
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Almond Cream Topping (optional)

12 - 1/4 cup almond flour
13 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
15 - 1 large egg
16 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease eight 4-inch tartlet pans or a muffin tin.
02 - In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water; pulse until dough forms, adding more water if necessary.
03 - Divide dough into eight portions. Press evenly into tartlet pans and prick bases with a fork. Chill for 15 minutes.
04 - Bake shells for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely.
05 - Combine cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, and orange zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and cool.
06 - Beat almond flour, sugar, softened butter, egg, and almond extract together until smooth.
07 - Fill cooled tartlet shells with cranberry filling. If desired, pipe or spread almond cream over the filling.
08 - Bake tartlets with almond cream for 10 to 12 minutes, or serve immediately without topping. Cool before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress at any gathering, but the buttery shells come together faster than you'd expect—no rolling or stress required
  • The tartness of the cranberries against the sweet almond cream is like a little flavor surprise in every bite, sophisticated without being fussy
  • You can make the shells ahead and fill them hours before serving, which means less kitchen panic on the day that matters
02 -
  • Keep your butter cold, cold, cold—I learned this the hard way when my shells turned dense and heavy instead of crispy. Warm butter makes tough dough. If your kitchen is hot, chill your food processor bowl too.
  • Don't skip cooling the filling completely before filling the shells. Hot or warm compote will soften them and ruin that precious crispy texture you worked for. Patience here pays dividends.
  • The egg white matters in the almond cream—it's what makes it fluffy and light instead of dense. Don't be tempted to use just a yolk. The whole egg beaten well creates that cloud-like texture.
03 -
  • If your tartlet pans are delicate or you're worried about sticking, use a thin layer of flour inside after greasing—it creates a barrier that makes removal effortless
  • Taste your cranberry compote before you finish it. Some batches of berries are more tart than others, so adjust the sugar slightly if needed. You want it sweet but with a bright, pucker-inducing edge.
  • For a show-stopping presentation, brush the finished tartlets with a light apricot jam mixed with a little water—it gives them a professional glaze and makes the cranberries gleam

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