Holiday Recipe: Cranberry-Chocolate Tart

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

The key to making this recipe from the November, 2007 issue of Bon Appetit magazine is to make it at least one to two days before serving. If you chill the recipe for less time, you run the risk of a gooey and unattractive, yet always delicious tart. So save yourself some time in the kitchen on Christmas by making it a day ahead
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Cranberry Topping:

• 1/2 cup cranberry juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (made from about 6 1/2 ounces cookies, finely ground in processor)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Mascarpone Filling:

• 1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese*
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Thin strips of crystallized ginger (optional garnish)

Preparation:

For cranberry topping:
Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until softened, 15 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup cranberry juice, cranberries, and next 5 ingredients in medium saucepan; bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until cranberries are tender but still plump, 5 minutes. Strain into bowl; set cranberries aside. Add gelatin mixture to hot juice in bowl; stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir cranberries back into juice. Chill until cranberry mixture is cold and slightly thickened, at least 8 hours or overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Stir chopped crystallized ginger into cranberry mixture.

For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, sugar, and salt in medium bowl; add 5 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter if mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake chocolate crust until beginning to set and slightly crisp, pressing with spoon if crust puffs during baking, about 14 minutes. Transfer tart pan to rack and cool crust completely before filling.

For mascarpone filling:
Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients except ginger in medium bowl just until thick enough to spread (do not overbeat or mixture may curdle). Spread filling in cooled crust. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Spoon cranberry mixture evenly over mascarpone filling. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Garnish with crystallized ginger strips, if desired. Cut tart into wedges and serve cold.