Instructions: 200 OC = 400 oF; 230 oC = 450 oF; 250 oC = 475 oF; 2.5 cm = 1 inch)

Raisine (with an e accent aigu !): this is an old vaudois country recipe. In the autumn, on farms all over the region, the juice of apples and pears is reduced very slowly, for 48 hours, in large cauldrons to make our raisine.

I dont know a substitute for raisine, which is a thick, dark brown concentrate of fruit juices. The taste: fruity sweet and slightly sour. It is sold locally in the markets, but not often in shops.

Pre-heat the oven to 260 oC. Butter and flour a 20 cm (8 in) tart ring, or a tart tin with a removable base, and line it with the pastry. Protect the pastry with a disc of aluminium foil pressed well against the edges and over the rim.

Blind-bake the pastry for about 10 to 15 minutes. Leave it to cool in the tin.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180 oC.

Prepare the filling by whisking together the remaining ingredients (it may be necessary to increase the quantity of raisine by 1 tablespoon, but this depends on the degree to which it was reduced when it was made).

Partly fill the pastry shell, then put it into the oven and complete the filling by spooning in the rest of the mixture - it must fill the shell to the brim and this way there is no danger of spilling it when you put it in the oven.

Leave the oven door ajar until the filling is set: this should take about half an hour. Test its firmness by giving the tart tin a little shake.

When the tart is cooked, take it out of the oven. Allow it to cool a little then take it out of the tin and leave it to get quite cold on a cake rack.

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