Cranberry Tart

Cranberry Sauce:

1. Add cranberries, juice, and syrup to a pot.  Bring to a boil, and simmer until the berries burst.Remove from the heat, and place in the fridge to cool for 10 - 15 minutes.  Berries are ready when they have cooled to room temperature.Drain most of the juice off the berries, reserving liquid for another recipe.Tip:  Use the extra liquid for another batch of cranberry sauce, or add to a vinaigrette and serve with bitter greens or vegetables (like kale or brussels sprouts).

Cranberry Tart:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.If desired, cut pastry into 4 or 6 even rectangles.  Alternatively, leave the sheet whole and make one large tart. Move the pastry onto the prepared baking sheet.Note: This recipe was written for refrigerated puff pastry. If using frozen puff pastry, thaw before using, rolled out to ¼" thickness.
2. Use a butter knife to make a shallow indentation on the pastry (or pastries), creating a ½" border along the edges.  Do not cut all the way through the pastry!Tip: If you accidentally cut all the way through the pastry dough while making the border, use your finger to add a few drops of water to the cut area of the dough. Rub the dough to seal it back up.
3. Lay the Brie slices in a single row on the dough, covering everything except the ½" border.Optionally, spread the marmalade over the Brie.
4. Use a spoon to ladle the drained cranberry sauce on top of the Brie.  Use enough berries to cover the cheese, but not so many that the cranberry sauce overflows onto the border.Tip: Make sure to drain most of the liquid off the sauce before adding it to the tart.  Too much liquid can make the pastry soggy.
5. Whisk the egg in a small bowl, add a splash of water, and carefully brush the egg wash onto the top outer edge of the pastry (the ½" border).  Take care to only brush the TOP of the pastry-- if the egg wash drips onto the side, it will seal the puff and prevent it from rising.Tip:  An egg wash makes the pastry extra glossy when baking.  It's totally optional.
6. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the pastry is golden.
7. Slide the tart(s) onto a wire cooling rack, and let cool for about 5 minutes.  Serve while still warm.  Top with whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar if desired.