Rustic Apple Cranberry Tart

Makes one 10-inch tart

Apples and cranberries are my favorite combination of fall fruit, and the bright, tart cranberries keep this dessert from being too sweet. Adapted from a recipe taught to me by my friend Joanna McGee, this has long been my Thanksgiving and Christmas dessert staple, and it’s as festive as it is delicious. I always hope there’s a bit left over so I can enjoy it the next morning with my coffee. —Amy

• Cream Cheese Pastry
• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (we use King Arthur), plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more as needed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
•  
• Filling
• 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 cups (one 12-ounce bag) whole fresh cranberries, rinsed, picked over, and blotted dry
• 2 large Granny Smith apples (or your choice of baking apple), peeled, cored, and chopped into ½-inch bits
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup orange marmalade
•  
• Egg Glaze
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 1 tablespoon coarse or sparkling sugar
•  
• Jam Glaze
• ½ cup seedless red currant jam

For the pastry: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a food processor and process until creamy; add the flour and salt and pulse just until the dough begins to clump. Lightly flour the work surface. Turn out the dough onto the work surface and form into a ball. It should feel soft, but not sticky. If it feels sticky, gently work in a tablespoon or two more flour. Form the pastry into a flat disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°, with a rack in the lower third.

For the filling: Finely grate the orange zest; you’ll need 2 teaspoons. Set the zest aside. Squeeze ⅓ cup juice into a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and whisk together until the cornstarch dissolves.

In a large bowl, toss together the cranberries, apples, raisins, orange zest, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts. Add the marmalade and the cornstarch mixture and stir to combine.

Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and grease the foil. Soften the pastry at room temperature for about 5 minutes; if it is too cold, it may crack or break. Unwrap and place it in the center of a piece of parchment paper. Lightly flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry into a 16-inch circle.

Slide the pastry, still on the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the egg glaze all over the pastry. Scrape the fruit into the center, leaving a 2-inch border. Roll in the edge of the pastry about 3 inches all around to cover the edges of the fruit and create a rim. Brush any cracks with some of the egg glaze and pinch them together. Brush the folded-over crust with egg glaze and sprinkle with sugar.

Turn up the edges of the foil to create a rim that will help catch any juices that escape while the tart is baking.

Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350° and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. If the edges begin to get too brown too early, or the fruit begins to look too dark, cover with foil.

Slide the foil holding the tart off the baking sheet and onto a wire rack to cool.

In a small saucepan, melt the jam over low heat. Using a pastry brush, brush the jam over the fruit.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Carefully slide the tart onto a cake stand or serving plate. Use a large spatula to lift it so you can remove the parchment paper or simply tear away all the visible edges.