White Chocolate Cranberry Tart With Toasted Pistachios

 White Chocolate Cranberry Tart With Toasted Pistachios

I served this two years ago at Thanksgiving dinner. It has been back by popular demand each year since and will be again served this year. My suggestion is, use a 10" tart pan with the removable bottom.

Tart Pastry:
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

2 Tablespoons whipping cream

Finely grated rind of one orange *optional

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Directions:

Sift flour and sugar together into the bowl of mixer or food processor. Cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Whisk together egg yolk, cream and orange rind (if using) and combine with the flour mixture, mixing until the dough comes together. I highly suggest the orange zest.  It is such a nice addition.  Flatten dough into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out on a floured board and place in a 10" tart pan with removable bottom. Cover with parchment paper or foil and weight down with dried beans or pastry weights. (This prevents shrinkage).

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and bake 10 minutes more or until golden. The shell is fully baked and ready to be used for the tart.

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White Chocolate Cranberry Tart WithToasted Pistachios 

Ingredients:

4 ounces shelled unsalted pistachios

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup whipping cream

12 oz white chocolate, finely chopped or the discs

1/4 cup butter

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place nuts on a baking sheet and toast pistachios for 10 minutes in oven or until golden.

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Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. In a bowl, put ice water to cool cranberries after blanching. Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel to dry cranberries after blanching.

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Add the cranberries to boiling water and stir until they soften slightly but do not burst. Fresh cranberries take slightly longer than frozen. Immediately drain cranberries and plunge into ice water to cool. Drain and spread cranberries on lined baking sheet. Roll around to dry and remove any bad cranberries.

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Bring cream to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Stir in white chocolate and remove from heat. Allow to sit for one minute, then stir together. Add butter and and stir together until fully incorporated. Stir mixture occasionally until completely combined. Do not over stir or there will be too much air incorporated and the final product will have allot of big bubbles.

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Randomly scatter dry pistachios and cranberries into baked tart shell. With a rubber scraper or spoon, pour white chocolate cream over filled tart to completely cover the fruit and nuts. You may have a little extra filling. Chill for 4 hours or overnight (but remove from the refrigerator approximately one hour beforeserving to soften slightly and enhance the flavors. Cut with a hot dry knife. Serves 10 and 15 would be better! It is rich but oh so good.