Cranberry Pecan Tarts

Mini tarts made with an all-butter crust, brown sugar pecan pie filling, and tart cranberries.

My husband’s family used to own a pecan orchard. In the fall, there was always an overabundance of pecans. So, of course, I made lots of pecan pies. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to a pecan hoard, being thousands of miles away. But making pecan pies is still a holiday tradition.

This year I decided to switch it up a bit. I have been on a cranberry kick lately, and I realized they would be a tasty addition to the pie. Pecan pie, consisting mostly of sugar, can be overly sweet. The tartness from the cranberries balances out some of that sweetness.

I also thought that making tarts instead of pies might be a fun change. Guests can each have their own little pie, leaving room to try other desserts. ‘Cause I don’t know about you, but I like to sample everything!

I always make my pecan pies with an all-butter crust. This crust has a lot of butter! So much in fact that that if overmixed, the crust can become a paste. To avoid this, keep the butter as cold as possible and cut it into the flour by hand or pastry cutter. I would not use a food processor. The butter in the dough will solidify the longer it is refrigerated, making it harder to roll out. It can be left at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to soften before rolling and cutting.

Cranberry Pecan Tarts

Course Dessert
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 24

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 stick butter 1 cup
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup cold water

Filling

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup corn syrup
  • 4 tbsp butter melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 tbsp spiced rum
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup pecan pieces toasted
  • 120 each cranberries

Instructions

Crust

  • Mix flour and salt. Dice the butter into cubes and cut into flour. Mix in the water. Knead the dough until smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour up to 24.
  • Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 24 rounds with a 3 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Gather scraps and reroll as needed. Spray 2 muffin tins. Fill the cups with the pastry circles, pressing them into the bottom and sides.

Filling

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place 5 cranberries and 1 tbsp of pecans in each muffin cup.
  • Whisk eggs, salt, and brown sugar together until smooth. Add corn syrup, vanilla, and rum. Mix in the melted butter. Spoon 1- 1 1/2 tbsp of filling into each muffin cup. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool, remove from tin, and serve. Keep refrigerated.

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