Christmas fruit tartlets recipe: Festive cranberry dessert

Sweet tooths are covered this Christmas with these delicious cranberry tartlets — and leftover filling can even be used as a condiment.

AS THE festive season approaches we tend to make something special of our cooking.

These delicious fruit tartlets come in handy for entertaining friends over festive drinks, or adding a special finish to a celebratory family meal.

I’ve used a combination of tinned mixed berries and dried cranberries (available in supermarkets). The cranberries add a real festive touch and the pastry, with its hit of vanilla, goes well with the rich fruity filling.

Leftover filling can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge to serve on Christmas Day as a condiment with your festive feast.

FRUIT TARTLETS

Cranberry tartlets Picture: DANNIKA BONSER

Filling is enough for 24 individual tartlets, depending on the size of your tins

PASTRY

3 cups plain flour

100g sugar

375g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

4½ tsp vanilla extract combined with 3 tbsp cold water

FILLING

180g sugar

½ cup water

1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped clean, pod and contents reserved

1 cinnamon stick

1 x 400g tin mixed berries, drained, liquid reserved

1¾ cups dried cranberries

1½ cups orange juice

2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water

With an electric mixer or in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour and sugar thoroughly. Add the butter and blend just to the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.

Pour the vanilla and water mixture into the flour mixture. Process briefly to combine. You may need to add up to 2 tablespoons more water to the dough so that it comes together.

Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead just until it forms a smooth ball. Flatten into a disk, seal in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES

PREPARING AUSSIE, TRADITIONAL FEASTS

CRANBERRY CHOC CAKE RECIPE

ADD SOME FLAIR TO YOUR PAVLOVA

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, vanilla pod and scrapings, and the cinnamon stick, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, do not stir. During the first few minutes of boiling, sugar crystals will be thrown on to the sides of the pan; wash them down with a pastry brush dipped in water, or cover the pan for 2-3 minutes to let condensation wash the crystals down. When the mixture starts to colour, after 4-5 minutes, swirl the pan gently to ensure even colouring. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture turns a medium caramel colour, about 2 minutes. Watch closely as this can happen quickly.

Cranberry tarts cooked by Jeremy Vincent for Weekly Times Country Living. Photo: DANNIKA BONSER

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the dried cranberries and the orange juice. The mixture will splatter and part of it may seize and harden. Cook about 10 minutes, until and hardened parts have dissolved and the cranberries have swelled.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mixed berries. Don’t over-stir or the fruit may disintegrate. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes to allow the fruit to absorb the juices.

Set a large fine strainer over a large mixing bowl and strain the fruit filling. You should get about 1¾ cups juice. If you are short, top up with some of the reserved berry juice.

Pour the juice back into the saucepan and put the fruit in a mixing bowl. Bring the juice to a boil and slowly whisk in the cornflour mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes until shiny, bubbly and slightly thickened. Stir this into the fruit. Allow the filling to cool; discard the vanilla bean and the cinnamon stick. You’ll have about 3 cups of filling.

Pre-heat the oven to 190C. Cut the dough in half; refrigerate one half. On a lightly floured work surface roll out the other half so it’s ½cm thick. Using a 7-9cm round cutter, or a template such as 5cm muffin tins, cut out the tartlets; repair any tears in the dough. Fill with 1 generous tablespoon of filling. Refrigerate the filled tartlets while you re-roll the dough scraps with the other half of the dough to make the remaining tartlets.

Bake the tartlets until the crust is golden, 25-28 minutes. If necessary, rotate the pans halfway through to ensure even baking. Allow the tartlets to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. To reheat, warm in a hot oven for 1-2 minutes.

CRAZY FOR CRANBERRIES

TOSS a handful of these delicious dried fruits into homemade muesli.

Substitute them in baking, particularly in fruit cakes and loaves, in place of glace cherries.

Try dried cranberries mixed with mayonnaise in sandwiches with shredded cooked chicken or turkey

Use them into salads and salsas.