Cranberry Almond Tart

To create the crust, preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with almonds and bake until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Allow the almonds to cool for a few minutes.

Combine the toasted almonds with flour, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and cloves in a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 12 short pulses. Add softened butter and pulse until everything is well combined, about 5 short pulses.

Shape the dough into a 10-inch tart pan, using two-thirds for the sides and one-third for the bottom. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust and freeze it for at least 30 minutes or up to a week.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Bake the chilled crust in the preheated oven until it's lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Allow it to cool completely, taking around 30 minutes.

To prepare the curd, combine cranberries, brown sugar, orange liqueur, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have burst and are very soft, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, taking around 30 seconds. Strain the liquid back into the saucepan through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on any solids in the strainer.

Whisk softened butter into the cranberry liquid. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a separate small bowl until they're lightened. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the warm cranberry mixture into the eggs. Add the egg-cranberry mixture to the remaining cranberry mixture in the saucepan, whisking constantly. Place the saucepan back over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is bubbly and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in orange zest.

If using immediately, pour the cooled curd into a shallow dish and let it cool slightly, about 10 minutes. If making ahead, cool the curd to room temperature and then cover it with plastic wrap pressed tightly to the surface before refrigerating.

Pour the cooled cranberry curd into the prebaked crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, taking around 3 hours. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days.