Heavens I LOVE this pie! It is insanely good. It is by far the best recipe I ever got off the foodnetwork web site and it may be the number one thing I look forward to eating at thanksgiving (with apologies to the stuffing. . . stuffing, you know I still love you--but sweet you ain't!) It came from an old show, like seven years ago, when some unseen narrator traveled around and showcased little bitty restaurants and bakeries in small town America. It was before the nation went "foodie" and there was even such a thing as "Food Network Stars".
Kara asked for the recipe and I did mean to post to for y'all. I made this once on a whim 6 years ago and I've made it each and every thanksgiving since.
Cranberry Walnut Tart
Sweet Tart Dough
(quick disclaimer on the sweet tart dough--it is very crumbly and a bit tricky to work with. If you have another sweet tart dough, you can substitute that. Don't let this disclaim detour you from making this! Just press the crumbles into the pan if you must, lovelies).
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, unsalted and softened
1 tsp vanilla, pure
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
Cream the sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth and silky in an electric mixer. Add the flour and salt. Pulse just until combined. Add the egg and pulse in a few more bursts into all that yellow egginess is incorporated. Mold this into a disk shape, wrap it in plastic and stick it in the fridge while you go onto the filling. Let it rest at least 30 minutes to chill that butter back up.
Filling from Heaven:
5 Tablespoons butter (a little over half a stick)
2 Tablespoons plus one teaspoon flour
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c dark corn syrup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c fresh cranberries (1/2 chopped, 1/2 whole)
2/3 c walnuts (most of it chopped, some left whole to look "purdy"--I think in a southern accent when I cook pies, it must be Paula Deen talking in my brain. Or maybe O'Pee, my dearly departed paternal Grandmother. Go figure!)
Melt the butter and set aside. Blend the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add the remaining ingredients (yes, butter included)and stir until well combined.
Now you can line your pie plate with the dough. Sometimes it works for me to roll it, other times I'm more or less pressing it in. . Sometimes I actually use a tart pan. Its going to taste amazing no matter what the edges look like. Pour that filling on in, gently placing some of those whole walnuts and cranberries on top to be pleasing to the eye. Pop it in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes. Your house is going to smell soooooo nice and the cranberries are going to burst their red juiciness into the filling. The tart will still be a bit wiggily in the middle when you take it out but should firm up after it cools down (you know, like pecan pie does). The tart will keep for one week in the fridge, but I tell you its going to get gobbled up quick! Happy Thanksgiving!
