Cranberry Curd Tart with White Chocolate Mousse and Biscoff Cookie Crust
Cranberry curd tarts have been all the rage since a recipe was posted on NYT Cooking last fall. I wanted to try the curd for my Thanksgiving dessert this year but didn’t want to eat an entire tart full of curd. That just seems like overkill for Thanksgiving.
Good thing I LOVE layered tarts. Pairing a few fillings with the perfect crust is such a fun seasonal challenge. My Earl Grey, Lemon, and Lavender Tart and Dark Chocolate Espresso Tart have hundreds of thousands of pins. I think it’s because they’re so purty on top with their roses and stars. When I decided to make a tart with cranberry curd and white chocolate I imagined putting the cranberry curd on the bottom so I could pipe some lovely white chocolate mousse roses on the top. But once I saw the beautiful color of the cranberry curd, I just couldn’t cover it up.
It turns out that was a great choice. The white chocolate mousse is perfect for the base. It is super light and silky and doesn’t leach moisture into the crust. And the cranberry curd on top? Ermagerd, it is so tart and sharp. Perfect with the light mousse and a great big cranberry flavor. I am so excited to make this for Thanksgiving. I might even skip the Chewy Molasses Cookies I almost always make. This tart is the alpha and omega.
Biscoff Cookie Crust
I made a few versions of this. The first was a gingersnap crust with some added crystallized ginger. It was super yummy but just too hard to cut and too firm in comparison to the filling. I wanted something akin to a graham cracker crust but with more flavor and spice. So i ground up some Biscoff cookies and added some butter. Voila! A crust with a sandy and tender texture that holds it’s shape during the blind bake and releases easily from the pan. Best of all, the knife just drops right through, giving you pretty slices with clean edges.
A few things to know about this Cranberry Curd Tart:
- I used a deep pan with a removable base intended quiches like this one
. I like this because it leaves plenty of room for the whipped filling and I like a bit of extra crust up around the rim. If you use a traditional tart pan you may find you have too much filling. No worries, you can easily put any extras in little glasses or eat straight out of the bowl when no one is looking. - When making the cranberry curd, use a food mill if you can. Your curd will thicken more easily and have more flavor. If you sieve it through mesh, prepare to put in some elbow grease.
- The temperatures are important when making the mousse. The white chocolate and milk should be as close to the same temperature as possible before combining so the chocolate doesn’t seize. And then you’ll need to let the whole mixture cool substantially before folding in the whipped cream.
- This is a perfect dessert to make a few days ahead of time. You can bake the rust and make the curd up to two days before. One day before, make the mousse, fill the shell and let set up overnight. The day of serving, add the curd, decorate and EAT. If you try making this all in one day, you risk not having enough time for layers to cool and set. TL;DR: Soupy mess.
- A few sprigs of rosemary, some crushed cookies, and a handful of fresh cranberries dusted with edible gold luster dust make an elegant holiday decoration.
- The tart shell and curd can be made ahead and frozen. The mousse must be made and stored in an airtight container for up to a week, but it can’t be frozen. The gelatin will break down if frozen and the mousse will lose it’s volume and texture.
. I like this because it leaves plenty of room for the whipped filling and I like a bit of extra crust up around the rim. If you use a traditional tart pan you may find you have too much filling. No worries, you can easily put any extras in little glasses or eat straight out of the bowl when no one is looking.
More Show Stopping Tarts From Bakers Brigade:
Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream
Earl Grey, Lemon and Lavender Tart
Strawberry Rhubarb Tart
Lilac and Violet Panna Cotta Tart
Print Recipe
The tender curst made with Biscoff biscuits perfectly complements the light-as-air mousse and sharp cranberry curd. This is a unforgettable tart for Thanksgiving and beyond.
| Servings | slices |
Ingredients
Biscoff Crust
- 12 ounces Biscoff cookies
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
White Chocolate Mousse
- 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin I use Knox
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 4 ounces white chocolate chips I like Ghirardelli
- 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Cranberry Curd
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- juice of one orange
- zest of one orange
Ingredients Biscoff Crust
White Chocolate Mousse
Cranberry Curd
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Instructions
For Biscoff Cookie Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Process the cookies in a food processor until finely ground (set one or two aside for decorating at the end). Add butter and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Press cookie mixture into the base and sides of a deep 10" tart pan with a removable bottom. If using a shallower tart pan, use only 2/3 of the cookie mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to darken. Let cool.
For White Chocolate Mousse:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Then microwave for 15-30 seconds until just dissolved. Do not boil!
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth and melted. Heat the milk in the microwave until just steaming, about 30 seconds. Add milk to white chocolate, whisking vigorously until smooth. Add gelatin and whisk again until smooth. Let mixture cool to 85 degrees or less but do not let it resolidify.
Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until medium-stiff peaks form. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Then add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold into the chocolate mixture.
Spoon into cooled tart shell, smooth the top with an offset spatula and allow to set in the fridge for a few hours or covered overnight.
For Cranberry Curd:
Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and orange peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have softened and begin popping, 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to a food mill or a medium mesh sieve and press the liquid into a bowl. Stir in the butter until smooth.
Combine eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat lightly. Slowly add a cup of the warm cranberry liquid into the eggs, whisking constantly to temper. Add the rest of the cranberry liquid, one cup at a time until combine.
Return the mixture to the saucepan (wiping out of necessary) and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. You can use the curd now or store it in the fridge in an airtight container for several days or in the freezer for several months.
Carefully spread the room temperature curd over the mousse layer. Let set up in fridge for a few hours until completely chilled. Decorate to taste and serve.
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