Serves 6
450g cottage cheese
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp caster sugar, plus a little extra
55g ground almonds
4 eggs
2 tbsp raisins
Grated nutmeg
For the pastry:
75g butter
140g flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1–2 tbsp very cold water
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.