Cranberry Almond and Caramel Tart Filling Recipe
This Cranberry Almond and Caramel Tart Filling is, in my opinion, reminiscent of a florentine but with added pops of sour from the whole cranberries which give a wonderful balance to the sweet caramel and nutty almonds. Florentines are thin biscuits made from flaked almonds and glacé cherries that are superbly crispy, chewy and nutty. These tarts have a similar flavour but a difference in texture in places. While the outside is crispy and chewy and the almonds stay crispy throughout, the cranberries are beautifully soft and the caramel on the inside stays soft, coating the insides providing a lovely texture balance. The base of this recipe is thin sweet pastry cases. You can make your own (using my recipe for sweet pastry) or you can buy them in already premade in specialty shops.
So how do I make this Cranberry Almond and Caramel Tart Filling from scratch?
Once you already have the tart shells baked or bought, this recipe is super simple to make. This Cranberry Almond and Caramel Tart filling recipe an be used to fill 4 small tart shells or one large one.
To begin, In a deep pan or saucepan, add all the caster sugar and shake the pan to make a thin layer. Heat on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the sugar has caramelised and a light amber colour has been achieved. Carefully add the cream to the caramelised sugar and mix together. The caramel may splutter and the sugar may start to seize up and become hard. This is normal, simply turn down the heat and continue cooking and stirring for a couple minutes until all the sugar melts again.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the whole cranberries and flaked almonds and mix together. Pour the hot caramel over the almonds and cranberries and mix everything together. Divide the filling between the 4 tart shells, allowing the mix to heap in the middle. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the almonds have turned golden brown and the cranberries have started to burst and soften.
Allow to cool before serving. Be careful if handling the tarts when hot as the caramel can leak out and get incredibly hot. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
I would recommend using fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. I would not recommend using dried cranberries as they won’t have the same texture or tartnes as fresh or frozen.
Absolutely, while this recipe uses 4 small tart shells, you could use this filling for a larger one.
Yes, 100%! For the pastry shells, either make a vegan pastry or buy in premade vegan pastry (Jus Rol shortcrust pastry is vegan and widely available in Irish supermarkets.) You can then choose a vegan cream (like this one from Emlea) or opt for coconut milk.
Absolutely. Just ensure you buy gluten free tart shells, make your own gluten free pastry or buy a premade gluten free pastry (Jus Rol have a great gluten free option, as does Irish based Roll It)
I can’t answer this for sure as I have only tried it with almonds but I think it would be equally delicious with hazelnuts or cashews.
Cranberry Almond and Caramel Tart Filling
Equipment
- 1 deep an or saucepan
- 1 wooden spoon or whisk
- 1 Medium sized mixing bowl
- 1 lined flat baking tray
Ingredients
- 4 small sweet pastry cases baked
- 75 grams caster sugar
- 140 grams cream
- 100 grams whole cranberries fresh or frozen
- 100 grams flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°c (340°f) or 160°c (320°f) if fan assisted.
- In a deep pan or saucepan, add all the caster sugar and shake the pan to make a thin layer. Heat on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the sugar has caramelised and a light amber colour has been achieved.
- Carefully add the cream to the caramelised sugar and mix together. The caramel may splutter and the sugar may start to seize up and become hard. This is normal, simply turn down the heat and continue cooking and stirring for a couple minutes until all the sugar melts again.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the whole cranberries and flaked almonds and mix together.
- Pour the hot caramel over the almonds and cranberries and mix everything together.
- Divide the filling between the 4 tart shells, allowing the mix to heap in the middle.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the almonds have turned golden brown and the cranberries have started to burst and soften.
- Allow to cool before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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