For my Frau Holle Tart, I used wild bog cranberries (every witch and goddess of nature needs a touch of the wild) but storebought fresh cranberries will work just fine. Originally the recipe also called for Autumn Olive berries but this year I substituted with hawthorn berries. While it’s a milder berry I love its red warming, heart-centered energy, good food to welcome the sun.

Mother Holle Cloud Tart w/ Cranberry & Hawthorn Berry Curd

INGREDIENTS

Oatmeal Crust & Clouds

• 1½ cups instant porridge oats 
• 1 ½ cups plain flour 
• 1 cup raw sugar
• ¼ cup dark muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom ground
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup of salted butter softened
• 1 egg beaten

Cranberry & Hawthorn Berry Curd

• 1 cup cranberries
• 1 & 1/4 cup of hawthorn berries (or cherries/raspberries)
• 1 cup sugar
• Rind and juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup softened butter 
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp cardamom

DIRECTIONS​

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9 or 10 inch tart tin with a removable base.

​Put the oats, flour, sugars, cardamom, ginger and baking soda into large mixing bowl. Rub the butter through the dry ingredients until well combined, then mix in eggs and work the mixture until it begins to form a doughy lump. Don’t overwork it!

Cut one third of the dough away and set it aside. Press the remaining dough into the greased tin, evenly covering the bottom and up the sides up the sides.

​Spread the cooled curd (see directions below) into the prepared tin, smooth the top and then break up small pieces of the reserved dough and place your little “clouds” over the top.

​Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Cool in the tin completely before removing. Dust with icing sugar.

Cranberry & Hawthorn Berry Curd

Put cranberries, hawthorn berries, sugar and orange juice and peel in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have popped and and hawthorn berries have softened, about 10 minutes

Transfer to medium mesh sieve and press cooking liquid and solids into a bowl. Drain off liquid and put aside. Whisk the butter into the warm berry mixture.

​Put eggs and egg yolks into a bowl and beat lightly. Slowly whisk a cup of warm cranberry liquid into the eggs to temper, then add your berry mixture and whisk together.

​Return mixture to a pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before using.

Enjoy!

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