Cranberry Orange Custard Tart

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart desserts This Cranberry Custard Tart is a perfect combination of flavours and textures from the crunchy ginger snap press in crust to the creamy sweet / tart filling and the cinnamon whip - three easy components put together to make a sweet Fall/Winter treat to enjoy that is easy and fun to make. custard tarts Cranberry Orange Custard Tart cranberries, oranges, tarts

This Cranberry Custard Tart is a wonderful dessert full of orange cranberry flavour that takes minimal effort to whip up. The perfect combination of flavours and textures from the crunchy ginger snap press in crust to the creamy sweet / tart filling and the cinnamon whip - three easy components put together to make a sweet fall/winter treat to enjoy that is easy and fun to make.

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart

Cranberry Custard Pie Ingredients:

  • CRANBERRIES: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe
  • ORANGE JUICE & ORANGE ZEST: Freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest is what I always recommend for best flavor.
  • SUGAR: Just a ¼ cup of granulated sugar is needed to simmer along with the tart cranberries to help bring together the cranberry sauce.
  • SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: I get asked this a lot about condensed milk “should I use sweetened?” Yes that is the only kind of condensed milk out there - there is no such thing as unsweetened condensed milk. Condensed milk cannot be replaced with whipping cream or evaporated milk in this recipe as the condensed milk not only sweetens the filling but it also affects the texture and overall structure of the filling.
  • EGGS: Eggs help the structure and texture of the filling - make sure they are room temperature so that they can be fully combined with the rest of the filling ingredients.
  • SPICES: I use ground cinnamon and ginger for the crust but those are optional.
  • GINGERSNAP COOKIES: They are crushed to make crumbs for the crust - feel free to use graham cracker cookies instead or even chocolate wafer cookies or biscoff cookies. Crush them using a food processor or place cookies in large ziploc bag and use a rollings pin to roll over cookies and create crumbs
  • BUTTER: Melted unsalted butter is the glue that holds the crust together.
  • ADD INS: If you would like to flavor the filling with warming spices like ginger or cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract or orange extract you can. 1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract can be added if desired.

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart

How To Make this Cranberry Tart

  1. Make the Gingersnap Cookie Crust: Combine cookie crumbs with butter, spices and pinch of salt and then press into and up the sides of your pie plate. No Need to bake simply place in the fridge while preparing filling
  2. Make the Filling: Simmer the cranberries with orange juice, zest and sugar then puree and pass through a sieve and into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk then the whisked eggs.
  3. Bake Pie then Chill: Pour the filling into the prepared tart crust and bake until custard has a dry or matte appearance on the edges and is set nearly throughout, but still slightly wobbly in the middle. Allow to cool on rack until room temperature then chill for 3-4 hours or until completely set. Make the toppings if you desire and serve with them on top of the tart or on the side.

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart

How can you tell the tart is done baking?

You will know when the cranberry tart is ready because the edges will start to puff up and will become slightly golden and the center will have a slight jiggle. The tart needs to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack once out the oven and then chill it so it has enough time to fully set making it easy to slice and enjoy.

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart

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Recipe

Servings: 6-8 (makes one 9 inch pie)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Bake Time: 30-40 mins
Non Active Time: 2-3 hours for chilling

Ingredients

For the Gingersnap Crust

  • 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter

For Cranberry Custard Filling

  • 16 ounces (approx 4 cups) whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup freshly orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • one (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature and whisked

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease 9 inch pie plate and set aside

For Gingersnap Crust

  1. Add gingersnap cookie crumbs, butter, brown sugar, salt and spices to a food processor. Pulse until the crumbs are moistened, then transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Use a measuring cup to press the crust firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
  2. Chill in the fridge until ready to bake

For the Cranberry Orange Custard Filling

  1. Add the cranberries, cranberry juice, and sugar to a medium pot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), puree the cranberries. Immediately pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, using a spatula to push all the cranberry puree out while leaving behind any bits of seed.
  2. Whisk the condensed milk into the cranberry mixture
  3. In a separate medium bowl gently whisk the eggs together on their own until combined. Whisk the egg mixture gently into the cranberry mixture until combined and use a spatula to stir a few times and scrape the bottom of the bowl.

Assemble Pie, Bake & Cool

  1. Remove pie crust from fridge. Pour the cranberry filling into the pie crust.
  2. Place the pie onto your oven’s middle rack and bake it for 25-35 minutes or until the custard has a dry or matte appearance on the edges and is set nearly throughout, but still slightly wobbly in the middle. (use a pie crust shield if needed if the crust edges start to burn)
  3. Remove the pie from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to cool.
  4. Once the pie has come to room temperature, move the pie to the refrigerator to finish setting up, at least 3-4 hours.
  5. Slice and serve cool with sweetened whipped cream (I love cinnamon whipped cream in recipe notes below) and garnished with orange zest and cranberries (fresh cranberries or sugared cranberries).
  6. Cover leftovers with foil or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Recipe Notes

  • NOTE: Any crushed gingersnap cookies or any crushed cookies will do; just be sure to use 2 cups crumbs for the crust whatever cookies you choose.
  • Make Ahead Instructions: This Cooled Cranberry tart can be frozen up to 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The texture is never as delicious as when its fresh but it will still be tasty
  • For the Cinnamon Whipped Cream: 2 cups of heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream), ¼ cup brown or granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process on high until thick, about 3-4 minutes. You can also whip the everything with a hand mixer.

Cranberry Orange Custard Tart