To prepare the pastry, place the flour on the work top, mix in the sugar and add the small dice of butter. Work in the butter to a crumble stage, then add the beaten egg and work it until the pastry is just holding together wrap it in a plastic bag and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 3-4mm. Line the cake tin, cut off any excess and leave to rest for another hour. Then lay some greaseproof paper onto the paper and fill them with old dried beans and blind bake the pastry on 180 °C/gas 4 for 35-40 minutes or until baked to a light brown colour. Remove the paper and cool.

For the filling, pass the quark through a sieve. Mix in the egg yolks and half the sugar and beat in the mixer until light and fluffy. Add the grated lemon peel, salt, warm butter and Kirsch and mix. Add the flour and mix.

Whisk the egg whites with the rest of the sugar until stiff and fold into the cheese mix. Pour into the blind baked tart base, spread evenly with a palette knife and bake at 150 °C/gas 3 on lower shelf for 20-30 minutes and cool.

For the prunes, bring the water, sugar and cinnamon stick to the boil, add the prunes, bring back to the boil and cool.

To serve, cut the cheese cake into 8 pieces, dust with icing sugar, dress on a plate with three pieces of prunes with a little stewing liqueur and a sprig of mint.

Cheesecake is best served at room temperature.

reserved. Carlton Food Network http://www. Cfn. Co. Uk/