Creamy Chocolate Cranberry Tart

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 30 chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Make the topping: ---

2. 2

   Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin over ¼ cup cold water in a medium bowl and let it soften for 10 minutes. Put 1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries in a saucepan with ¾ cup sugar and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat to a simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes or so — you want to soften the cranberries but keep their plump shape.

3. 3

   Drain the cranberries over the bowl in a mesh colander. Stir the juice with the gelatin to combine, then add the cranberries and stir gently. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture thickens, about 6 hours.

4. 4

   --- Make the tart crust: ---

5. 5

   Heat the oven to 350 (175 C) degrees.

6. 6

   Pulse 30 chocolate wafer cookies, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and pulse until the mixture is moistened and holds together when you pinch it.

7. 7

   Press the crumbs onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake the crust 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

8. 8

   --- Make the filling: ---

9. 9

   Blend 1 pound mascarpone cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder together until smooth, by hand or using the paddle attachment of a heavy duty mixer. Spread the filling over the cooled crust and refrigerate at least 2 hour.

10. 10

    To serve, spoon the cranberry mixture over the chilled filling.