"Simple to make and utterly heavenly to eat. It’s Christmas in tart form! Have a go and try it with different flavours of creams like orange mascarpone, warm custard or a simple vanilla ice cream."

Sweet pastry tart case:

INGREDIENTS

200g plain flour

60g icing sugar

70g unsalted butter

1 egg

METHOD

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the butter. Beat until light and fluffy, then add the egg and combine. Sift in the flour and gently bring together into a ball.

Then press the dough into a round, flat shape and wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out using a good amount of flour on top of some on cling film. That makes it easier to lift and lay the pastry into the tart case.

Butter a 10" loose-based round tart tin and dust with flour to make it non-stick. Then line with the rolled sweet pastry followed by 3 sheets of cling film. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes, then add baking beans and bake at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes until golden. Remove the baking beans, brush with an egg wash and the tart shell is ready for your filling.

Ecclefechan tart mix:

INGREDIENTS

120g melted butter

120g soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cinnamon

470g Californian raisins

120g broken walnuts

Icing sugar to dredge

METHOD

Whip the melted butter and soft dark brown sugar together. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add slowly to the butter and sugar. Mix in the raisins and walnuts, then add the lemon juice, zest and cinnamon and give another good mix.

Add the mix to the tart shell whilst it’s still warm, and smooth over using a wet palette knife. Bake in a moderate oven (around145-165°C) for 30 to 45 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Be careful of burning the raisins in the oven. Placing another tray on the shelf above the tart will help to stop the harsh heat burning them.

Remove from oven and leave to stand for half an hour. Then remove from the tin, dredge with icing sugar and serve.