Makes 1 10-inch tart

Demerara sugar, increasingly available in supermarkets, is a large-crystalled, unrefined cane sugar with a nice toffee flavor. It makes for the perfect walnut streusel on this simple tart with a shortbread crust borrowed from the Honey Pie recipe in The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook (Little, Brown and Co., 2015).

For the crust:

• 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons butter), melted then cooled
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling and topping:

• 5 cups cranberries
• 5 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 2/3 cup demerara sugar

1. To make the crust, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the melted butter, vanilla, salt, sugar, and flour in a bowl. Mix well, until the dough comes together, and press it into a 10-inch tart pan. Blind bake the crust (it is unnecessary to use pie weights) for 15 minutes. Allow the crust to cool before filling.

2. To make the filling while the crust is baking, combine the cranberries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook covered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar melts and cranberries soften, about 7 minutes. Uncover and stir in the butter. Remove the filling from heat and allow it to cool.

3. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the sugar with the nuts.

4. Spoon the cranberry filling into the tart shell, top with the walnut mixture, and bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool the tart and serve with unsweetened whipped cream if desired. 

This recipe was originally published with the article, Cranberry's Progress.