Cranberry Pumpkin Tart

Instructions

Make the Pâte Sucrée

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 200 g (1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons) flour, 65 g (⅓ cup) sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
2. Add 150 g (⅔ cup) cold butter cubes. Cut in with a pastry blender or fingertips until you see coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter bits.
3. Mix in 2 egg yolks (36 g) with a fork until the dough looks shaggy.
4. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon ice water. Mix gently. Add up to 1 more tablespoon only if too dry. Barely damp is the sweet spot. Too much water = tough crust.
5. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead just 2–3 times, shape into a disk, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).

Roll & Blind Bake the Crust

1. Roll dough to ~⅛-inch thick and fit into an 12-inch tart pan. Trim edges, dock bottom, and freeze 15 minutes. (Katie’s Tip: After rolling, let the dough rest for 5–10 minutes before fitting it into the pan. This relaxes the gluten and helps prevent shrinkage later.)
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line with parchment, fill with pie weights/beans, bake 15 minutes.
3. Remove weights, bake 5–7 minutes more until lightly golden.
4. Brush warm crust with beaten egg white and bake 2 minutes more. Cool slightly before filling. (Katie’s Tip: Lower-temp blind bake keeps crust from overbrowning later.)

Make the Pumpkin Custard Filling

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3–4 tablespoon sugar, ⅔ cup (135 g) brown sugar, 41 g (5 ½ tablespoon) flour, ½ teaspoon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, and ⅛ teaspoon of cloves and cardamom.
2. In another bowl, whisk 540 g pumpkin, 4 eggs + 1 yolk, ⅔ cup cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.
3. Fold dry into wet just until combined.

First Bake (Filling Only)

1. Pour pumpkin custard into the blind-baked crust, filling it to just below the rim (about ¼ inch from the top). This gives room for the topping later without spillover.
2. Transfer the filled tart to a baking sheet. This will catch any accidental spillovers and make it easier to transfer in and out of the oven.
3. Bake the filled tart at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes, until edges are just set but the center still has a gentle wobble.

Make the Cranberry Pecan Topping

1. Toss 6 oz (170 g) chopped cranberries with 1 tsp of flour. This coats them lightly and keeps juices from bleeding too much into the custard.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 75 g brown sugar, 25 g granulated sugar, the remaining flour (about 24 g), ⅜ tsp kosher salt, and zest of ½ orange.
3. Add 42 g cold butter cubes. Use fingertips or a pastry blender to rub until coarse crumbs form — aim for pea sized clusters.
4. If the topping looks dry, squeeze a handful in your palm before adding the cranberries — it should just hold together, then crumble apart easily.
5. Once texture is right, fold in the cranberries and pecans gently so the berries don’t bleed.
6. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm the butter. This makes chunkier, more defined crumbs that hold shape as they bake.

Finish Baking (with Topping)

1. Remove tart from oven. Sprinkle topping evenly over custard, but leave a 1 ½-inch border around the edge so the pumpkin layer shows.
2. Scatter a few extra visible cranberries across the top for brighter color.
3. Lightly press just a few clusters into the custard so the topping anchors, but don’t mash them in — you want lift and texture.
4. Return tart to 375°F oven for 35–40 minutes, until filling is set, topping golden, and crust deep golden brown. The custard is done when the center barely jiggles when nudged, and the topping is golden and crisp.

Chill and Serve

1. Cool completely on a rack and let rest at least 2 hours before chilling. This prevents condensation from forming under the topping.
2. Chill at least 3 hours for clean slices. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
3. Garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream.