POPPED CRANBERRY TART

Steps:

• Nut Crust: Mix butter, sugar, pecans, whole egg, egg yolk, and salt with a wooden spoon until barely blended. Add flour and knead until a small ball forms. Wrap in plastic and chill about 4 hours.
• After chilling dough, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness or divide into 8 parts and press into 8 individual tart pans, 3-inch round x 1 inch deep. The crust should be thick.
• Bake empty tart shells 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile make pastry cream, and prepare berries.
• Pastry Cream: Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Add egg yolks and mix until a paste is formed. Stir in 1/2 cup milk.
• Combine remaining milk and sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Pour hot mixture into mixture in bowl, whisking constantly. Pour back into pan.
• Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir an additional minute. Stir in vanilla and transfer to a bowl. Cover with buttered parchment paper touching top and chill a minimum of 2 hours or as long as 2 days.
• Cranberries: Combine sugar, jelly and orange zest in sauce pan and boil until thick, about 5 minutes. Fold in cranberries, and cook another 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then assemble tart.
• To Assemble: Spread prepared nut crust with a layer of chilled pastry cream and top with cooled cranberries. Serve chilled.