The first time I made this tart, I left it on the counter to cool before dashing out for the evening. When I returned home several hours later, half the tart was missing.
Half.
“Mr. Mom’s Kitchen,” who’s not usually much of a dessert guy, claimed responsibility.
When I made it a second time, tinkering a bit with the crust, I sent a sizable slab home with my friend Elizabeth, who protested, “That’s too much! We’ll never eat it all.” She texted me a photo that same afternoon showing mere scraps left on the plate.
This is all a long-winded way of saying that this tart is a real keeper. It’s taking up permanent residence in our family holiday cooking repertoire. Let me tell you why:
It’s easy!
No joke. The tart dough gets mixed by hand in a single bowl and pressed in the pan. The filling relies on red raspberries that go straight from freezer to bowl. The cranberries don’t need to be chopped and can be either fresh or frozen.
It’s pretty!
The deep, dark red of frozen raspberries and cranberries can’t be beat for seasonal cooking. Put this on a holiday spread and you’ll be sure to win a few beauty Brownie points.
It’s a nutrition upgrade!
Pecan tarts are notoriously high in sugar and typically made with corn syrup. This version isn’t too sweet, features a 100 percent whole wheat crust, subs in olive oil for some of the butter, and includes one and a half generous cups of fruit (mostly red raspberries, which are high in vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant – and fiber).
It’s plainly delicious!
The combination of bright tang of red raspberries, maple syrup, and crunchy pecans is a winning one. Good luck stopping at one slice.
Bottom line? I hope you make this tart. And if you do, I’d advise you not to leave it unguarded on the counter. You may return to find it half eaten.
Cran-Raspberry Pecan Tart with Whole-Grain Crust
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup pecans snapped in half
- ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries no need to defrost
- 1 heaping cup frozen raspberries not defrosted
For serving:
- Lightly sweetened creme fraiche or whipped cream optional
Instructions
- Put the olive oil, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk with a fork until blended. Add the flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan and use your fingers to firmly press the dough along the bottom and sides of the pan. It’s a thin crust. Prick a few times with a fork. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Par-bake the crust just until the color starts to go slightly golden, 15 minutes.
- While the tart shell bakes, make the filling by whisking the eggs, butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and flour in a large bowl until blended. Stir in the pecans, cranberries, and raspberries. Pour into the pre-baked tart shell and bake until the filling is set and barely jiggles when you shake the pan a bit, about 35 minute. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Serve in wedges as is or with creme fraiche or whipped cream.
