This tart comes from a recipe I first learned of at a baking demo that the lovely (and aptly genius) Kristen Miglore did for her beautiful book Genius Desserts back in 2018. The original recipe, by way of Karen DeMasco of ABC Kitchen fame, is for a kind of raspberry granola bar that is genius for a couple of reasons: (1) it uses just one dough, which doubles as a sandy shortbread base when packed down into a crust, and a streusel topping when crumbled lightly over top, (2) it can use any nuts you happen to have on hand and any odds and ends from assorted jam jars you might need to use up, and (3) it’s just delicious. As Kristen says, it’s somewhere between a pecan sandy, a (decadent) granola bar, and a fruit crisp, and it’s very, very moreish.
I’ve made the recipe in its original form plenty of times, with variations left and right (and I’ve included a few photos here of those, too), but this tart form might be my favorite so far. It came into being after we ended up with a little too much cranberry sauce in my Thanksgiving prep and some leftover walnuts from this recipe a few weeks back, plus the unexpected boon of some rosy Lucy apples at the supermarket. The granola bars have tended to be quite sweet in some iterations, especially if you use a jam that’s not tart, but the cranberry sauce in this instance is the perfect sharp, puckery balance to the toasty warmth of the crisp. Some apple on top, simply sliced, adds a pretty pattern and a little extra brightness.
If you should find yourself with some extra cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving this year, and maybe a few apples leftover from your pie-making, I can think of no better calling for it than this tart. I might even make extra on purpose next time.
I hope you all have happy, safe holidays.
thanksgiving leftover apple and cranberry streusel tart
Inspired by Karen DeMasco’s Back-to-School Raspberry Granola Bars from Genius Desserts by Kristen Miglore.
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts or nuts of your choice, roughly chopped
1 ¼ cups (115 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ cup (190 grams) all-purpose flour (I often replace ½ cup with spelt or rye flour)
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar (or to taste, see Notes)
⅓ cup (75 grams) packed dark brown sugar (or to taste, see Notes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (320 grams) cranberry sauce or jam of your choice (tarter ones are nice; see Notes)
1 thinly sliced apple, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), with a rack in the center. Butter and line an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with parchment, or else butter a round 8- to 9 ½-inch tart pan. Separately line a large baking sheet with parchment and spread the nuts and oats out in an even layer. Toast the nuts and oats in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flours, sugars, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the toasted oats and nuts and mix again to combine.
- Pour in the melted butter, and using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir until well combined.
- Press half of the oat mixture into an even, firmly packed layer on the bottom of the baking pan to form a “crust.” Using an offset or rubber spatula, spread the cranberry sauce evenly across the surface of the crust. Evenly sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the cranberry sauce. If you like, top with thinly sliced apple.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling in spots, about 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the tart cool completely in the pan on a rack, about 3 hours, before slicing. Alternatively, dig in with ice cream straight out of the tin. The sliced tart freezes beautifully for grab-and-go treats, or as a make-ahead dessert.
Notes
This works with all kinds of variations–with hazelnuts, almonds, or pecans as originally intended, for example, or with any kind of jam you might have. Plums or pears would also be beautiful sliced on top. Whatever you do, though, toast the nuts and oats! It is an extra step but really adds so much to the “warm hug” feel of this burnished, toasty crisp.
If you have it, use ½ cup spelt, rye, or whole wheat flour in place of some of the all-purpose. It adds just another layer of toasty depth.
I think this would work well with less sugar, especially if using a sweet jam. If you have a sweeter jam like strawberry or fig, I would decrease the sugar in the crumble to ¼ cup granulated and ¼ cup brown.
Finally, I made this as a tart because, after all, it is the season for festive things, but it is not necessary. If you do use a tart pan, just be sure to take the full time to chill the tart before removing the outer ring and slicing.
Chef mimi
Beautiful!
Bill McGRATH
Always wonderful to see your recipes and your family comments My wish for you and your beautiful family is to have the best Thanksgiving and the best everyday