Summer Berry Tart Recipe

It’s almost the 4th of July. Time to show your love for America through a dessert. Here is the perfect red, white, and blue dessert to help cool you off on a hot summer’s day. A tart shell is filled with whipped cream and topped with a mix of fresh summer berries. I used blueberries and raspberries to go along with my patriotic them, but feel free to use any fruit that you like. I’d consider this a pseudo-recipe because the only thing that takes a little effort is the tart shell. (The whipped cream is a piece of cake.) If you really want to make things easy on yourself, you can always just go with a pre-made pie shell and store-bought whipped cream. (I won’t tell.)

For some time I’d heard about the wonders that vodka can do in a pie crust, so I figured I’d give it a try. If you know me, then you know that I didn’t look at the recipe for what some deem the “perfect pie dough.” I of course chose to wing it, but I think it turned out pretty good—even with my wine bottle rolling pin! (I couldn’t find my actual rolling pin in the 30 seconds I searched for it, but I always know where the bottle of wine is!)

Vodka Pie Dough Shell:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons chilled vodka

For the vodka pie dough shell:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of a pie. (You can use a pastry cutter to do this.)
2. Stir in the vodka until the dough starts to come together. You might need to use your hands to work it slightly, or you can also add some ice water if it appears too dry.
3. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. (I skipped this step because I was in a rush, but this is what you should do.)
4. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
5. Roll out the dough and place it in a 10-inch tart pan. If the dough feels too soft, put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes.
6. Line the tart with parchment or wax paper and fill with dry beans, uncooked rice, or pie weights. Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through. Cool completely.

Summer Berry Tart:

• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Blueberries and raspberries, for decorating

For the summer berry tart:

1. Put the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. (You can also do this with an electric mixer or by hand.) Whip until stiff peaks form.
2. Pour the whipped cream into the chilled tart shell.
3. Decorate with the berries to your heart’s content—let your creativity run wild!

Yield: One 10-inch tart

What’s your favorite summer dessert?