In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt.

Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla and 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk. Stir into the dry ingredients.

Use your hands to bring the dough together. It shouldn't be crumbly, as you'll need to roll it out. If necessary, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Don't add too much, as excess milk can make the baked crusts soft.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. You can make the preserves while the dough chills.

Grease eighteen 2.6-inch (6.5 cm) fluted non-stick mini tart pans. If you have only 12 pans, you can work in two batches.

Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to about 1/8 inch (3–4 mm) thick.

Cut circles about 1/4 inch (6 mm) wider than the widest part of the tart pans. I used the bottom of a glass, but a cookie cutter will give you cleaner edges. Test one circle before cutting the rest, as you may need a slightly different size for your pans.

If the dough becomes too soft or difficult to remove from the parchment, put it in the freezer for a few minutes.

Place a circle of dough over a greased tart pan and press it firmly into place. Press around the bottom edges to remove any air pockets, then press the dough into the fluted sides and trim away the excess.

Prick the bottom several times with a fork, going almost, but not completely, through the dough. Repeat with the remaining pans.

Freeze the prepared tart shells for 20–30 minutes.

Toward the end of the freezing time, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a baking sheet large enough to hold the tart pans in the lower third of the oven while it preheats.

Place the frozen tart pans directly onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 14–17 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through if needed, until the sides are nicely browned and the bottoms have browned slightly.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the tart pans on a wire rack. Let cool for about 15–20 minutes.

While the crusts are still slightly warm, carefully turn each pan upside down and let the crust fall into your hand. They should release easily. Let the crusts cool completely.

If you're working with only 12 pans, allow the pans to cool before reusing them for the remaining dough, then repeat the shaping, freezing and baking steps.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon.

Cook for about 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened slightly. Don't overcook, as the preserves will continue to thicken as they cool.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 20–30 minutes. To speed things up, transfer to a heat-safe container and refrigerate, stirring occasionally. The preserves can also be made up to 3 days in advance and kept refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

These tartlets are best served the day they're filled and baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.