Cranberry and Port Tart

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            FOOD FUNNY
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"SINGSnKEYS" assures us that this is "Not a personal experience":

As my five-year-old son and I were headed to McDonald's one day, we
passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like
that, we say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so I pointed and
said to my son, "We should pray."

 From the back seat I heard his earnest request: "Please, God, don't
let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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I don't normally have much of a sweet tooth except when the holidays
come around, and then I can't seem to get enough of the sugary
goodies. Assuming I'm not the only one who suffers from SSS (Seasonal
Saccharophilia Syndrome), I put together some elegant and festive
desserts. Here is the lineup:

Monday's Dessert
Cranberry and Port Tart

Tuesday's Dessert
Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Wednesday's Dessert
Chocolate Truffle Tart

Thursday's Dessert
Chocolate Chestnut Yule Log

Friday's Dessert
Ginger Trifle

This honey-sweet and cranberry-tart confection livens up the table
with its bright red filling. This recipe also features what must be
the easiest pie crust of them all.

Cranberry and Port Tart

For the dough:
1 3/4 cups (430 ml) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (180 ml) butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (125 ml) confectioner's sugar

For the filling:
1/4 cup (60 ml) apricot preserves
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped walnuts or pecans
1 envelope (1 Tbs, 15 ml) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water
3 cups (750 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup (250 ml) port wine or apple juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) honey
Whipped cream for garnish

Combine the ingredients for the dough in a bowl and mix to form a
dough. Press the dough into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate, tart pan, or
springform pan. Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until set and
golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 10
minutes. Spread the apricot preserves over the crust and sprinkle
with chopped walnuts. Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water in a
medium-sized saucepan and let it stand for 5 minutes, until the
gelatin has softened. Add the cranberries, wine, and honey and bring
to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5
minutes and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour the filling into
the prepared crust and refrigerate at least 3 hours, until the filling
has set. Serve topped with whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Sun Jan 4 02:57:05 2004