Cranberries are so festive and perfect for Christmas cooking. And since they are seasonal, I use these little jeweled berries in everything from side dishes to desserts during their harvest. Cranberries are versatile and have so many more uses than just cranberry sauce. Although I do love homemade cranberry

sauce.

This Cranberry Tart is made with phyllo dough. This is the place to start if you are intimidated by phyllo dough but intrigued and want to learn how to handle the dough. The phyllo is placed in a pie plate, and a decorative edge is fashioned.

Add a splash of Grand Marnier for an elegant touch and taste!

1 cup fresh cranberries, Ocean Spray

¼ cup sugar, Domino’s Sugar

 2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, Philadelphia brand

¼ cup sugar, Domino’s Sugar

1 egg 

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla, Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract

8 sheets frozen phyllo dough (14×9-inch rectangles), thawed.

4 tablespoons, melted, Cabot Creamery

Directions

 1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare the topping: In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and Grand Marnier. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries pop and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Set aside.

2. To prepare the filling: With an electric mixture, beat on medium cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, the egg, egg white, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, scraping the side of the bowl as necessary. Set aside.

 3. coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a pie plate with nonstick cooking spray for the crust. Unfold phyllo dough; remove 1 sheet of the phyllo dough and place it on the pie plate. (As you work, cover the remaining phyllo dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.) Coat the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Top with the second sheet of phyllo dough on the diagonal, allowing ends to extend over the edge of the pan. Coat and layer 2 more sheets of phyllo; place across phyllo in the pan in a crisscross fashion. Coat with butter. Repeat twice with the remaining phyllo. (If desired, turn under edges of phyllo to form a rim.) Bake for 5 minutes.

 4. Spoon filling into phyllo crust, spreading evenly. Spoon cranberry mixture onto the filling. Using a knife, carefully cut through cranberry mixture and to marble slightly

 5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until phyllo is light brown and filling is set. If necessary, to prevent over-browning, cover the edge of the tart with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Enjoy!