Serves8 to 10
- Active Time:50 min
- Start to Finish:4 1/2 hr (includes making pastry dough and cooling tart)
November 2003
Nut pies can be very sweet—mixing in tart cranberries keeps everything in check.
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Sweet pastry dough
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3
large eggs
-
2/3
cup
packed dark brown sugar
-
2/3
cup
light corn syrup
-
1/2
stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla
-
1 1/4
cups
chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (7 oz; thawed if frozen)
-
1
cup
chopped walnuts (1/4 lb)
Make shell:
-
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin and fit into tart pan. Trim edge of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then chill 30 minutes.
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Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights.
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Bake until pastry is set and pale golden on rim, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until pale golden all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Transfer shell in pan to a rack.
Make filling:
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Move oven rack to middle position and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
-
Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth, then stir in cranberries and walnuts.
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Pour filling into shell and bake tart until filling is set and golden, 40 to 45 minutes. (If pastry edge darkens before tart is done, cover edge with a pie shield or foil.) Cool completely in pan on rack.
Cooks' notes: Tart can be baked 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature. For a more unusual presentation, you can make the tart in an 11- by 8-inch rectangular fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.