I'm reposting the recipe for these this year because they are a Christmas favorite. (And so easy to make.) The Clementines add a nice balance to the apple (sweet) and cranberry (sour) flavor and the cinnamon and nutmeg really emphasize the pecans and walnuts.
They are perfect by themselves or you can top them with whipped cream and have vanilla ice cream on the side. If you are short on time, you can always use pre-made pie crust but I like to make it from scratch if possible.
Crust
1 1/2 cups cold, unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cold water
Mix flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Cut your butter into 1/2" slices and add to the bowl, working into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter. Work the mixture until crumbly and pea-sized. Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture and combine together with your hands. Form into 3 equal sized balls. Wrap in wax paper and store in refrigerator for 1/2 an hour. (This can be made ahead of time and even frozen for convenience. Just thaw thoroughly before rolling out.)
Roll each ball into a 12" round on a floured pastry sheet or hard surface. Each 12" round will yield 8 tart crusts, perfect for your batch of 24. Roll each tart crust out into a small, flat circle and lightly press into an ungreased muffin tin, forming up the sides. Set aside.
Filling:
3 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. all-spice
2 large apples (peeled, cored and diced)
6 clementines (or tangerines with seeds removed)
2 cups frozen cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Mix sugar salt, spices and apple in a large saucepan. Wash your clementines and cut in half, removing the stem. Cut into quarters, leaving the peel on (this adds a big part of the flavor to the recipe) and chop in a blender or food processor until smooth. (If you prefer to use tangerines, be sure to remove the seeds before placing in blender.) Add blended clementines to the saucepan mixture along with your cranberries and nuts.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until cranberries burst as shown below. Remove from stove and let mixture cool for about 10 minutes.
Spoon into unbaked tart crusts and bake at 400 F for about 10-15 minutes. I usually watch for the edges to be just barely browned. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.
