These Cranberry Tarts are a great recipe for after Christmas if you’ve got a few cranberries still hanging around in your fridge. I also find these sharp fruity little tarts can make a good alternative to mince pies.

I like to make several batches of these tarts in addition to traditional mince pies and I find they disappear very quickly.

Patricia Lousada’s American Sampler

My recipe is based on Patricia Lousada’s recipe for cranberry pie from her book ‘American Sampler‘ published as a Sainsbury cookbook in 1982. This little book is a treasure trove of recipes, some of which, such as Bread and Butter Pickles, I have already shared with you.

Cranberry Tarts Recipe Advice

In Patricia Lousada’s recipe for cranberry pie the filling isn’t cooked before putting in the pie shell. As it is a large pie the baking time is long enough to cook the cranberries.

When making small tarts they are only baked for 15-20 minutes which is not long enough to cook the cranberries so I cook the cranberry filling and allow it to cool before putting it into the pies. This also allows you to adjust the sweetness. I like the sharp cranberry flavour to come through so I only use 4 ounces of sugar. If you like a sweeter filling cook the cranberries, then taste and add more sugar if necessary.

Shortcrust Pastry

To make 2 dozen tarts I use my mother’s shortcrust pastry recipe made with 8 ounces of flour. My orange pastry for mince pies would also be good, or your own favourite recipe.

Here is the recipe…

Cranberry Tarts

Recipe by Scones Plus More

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SnacksCuisine: USADifficulty: Easy

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

24

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• Filling

• 12 ounces / 340 grams / 1 ½ cups cranberries

• 4 ounces / 110 grams / ½ cup chopped walnuts

• 4 ounces / 110 grams / ½ cup raisins

• Rind and juice of 1 large orange

• 4 ounces / 110 grams / ½ cup sugar – or to taste

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 ounces / 55 grams / ¼ cup butter

• Pastry

• For the pastry use my mother’s shortcrust pastry recipe, my orange pastry, or another of your choice.

Directions

• Put all the filling ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently until the cranberries have ‘popped’ and you have a soft fruity nutty mixture. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.
  (Keep your eye on it as it will catch easily – I have cleaned several burned pans making this filling) Allow to become cold.
• Make your pastry and grease 2 bun trays. For the pastry use my mother’s shortcrust pastry recipe, my orange pastry, or another of your choice.
• Roll out the pastry quite thinly and cut out 24 rounds with a 3 inch / 7 cm round cutter and put them into the bun trays.
• Fill the little tarts with a generous teaspoon of the filling.
• Gather all the scraps of pastry together, roll out again and cut 24 small stars.
• Top the cranberry filling with the stars and brush with milk.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven 210°C / 190°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6-7, until golden brown.
• Remove from tins onto a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle with caster sugar.

Notes

• Please note the oven temperature and baking time given is for my mother’s shortcrust pastry recipe. If you are using a different pastry you may need to adjust the temperature and/or timing.

This is my last recipe before Christmas! I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

See you in 2026 – until then Happy Baking!

Tanya