1. Make the pastry in the usual way, rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar and moistening with the egg yolk and 1-2 tablespoons of water, as required. Roll out to fit a greased 20cm tart tin and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Cover the pastry case with baking parchment or foil, fill with baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further five minutes until just golden. Set aside while you make the filling.
3. Blend or sieve the cottage cheese, lemon zest, sugar and ground almonds. Sharpen to taste by adding a little lemon juice. Beat the eggs, then fold thoroughly, with the raisins, into the cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared pastry case and sprinkle a little sugar and grated nutmeg over the top. Bake for 30–40 minutes until golden brown. The mixture will gently subside as it cools.
4. Serve warm or cold. Some whipped cream is good with it if it’s to be served warm.

TOP TIP: The raisins can be soaked in a spoonful of whiskey for a few hours first, to plump them up and give a little extra flavour.