Simple Raspberry Tart

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves: 8

1¼cups all-purpose flour plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably a European-style butter
like Plugra, cut into ½-inch pieces and re-chilled
2 to 5 tablespoons ice cold vodka (the alcohol evaporates and leaves the crust much flakier)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
3 cups firm whole raspberries, picked over
Confectioners' sugar, or ice cream, whipped cream or crème fraîche

1. In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses).
2. Add vodka 1 tablespoon at a time, the fewer tablespoons the better. Pulse after adding each tablespoon until mixture is just moist enough to hold together.
3. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic and flatten into as wide a disk as you quickly can. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling out and baking.
4. Prebaked Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie crust to a 12-inch circle. Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold over any excess dough, then crimp edges. Prick crust all over with a fork. If you have time, freeze crust for 15 to 30 minutes; otherwise skip this step. Cover pie with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights (you can use coins, marbles, uncooked rice or dried beans for this). Bake for 15 minutes; remove foil and weights and bake until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool on rack until needed.
5. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Toss with about 2 cups of berries, crushing some of berries with a fork.
6. Pile berries into the tart crust, then top with remaining berries.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until fruit mixture is bubbly. Cool.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar, or topped with ice cream, whipped cream or crème fraîche.