Originally a speciality of the Couserans, this pastry filled with prunes, apple or pear has become popular throughout all of Ariège.

300g flour
1 egg
125g butter
150g sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 a cup of water flavoured with orange blossom water and brandy (eau de vie)
a pinch of baking powder
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 Tbsp duck fat or oil


The night before,
make a well in the flour, break the egg in the center, add the salt and baking powder dissolved in the water. Incorprate the flour and mix together until it makes a smooth ball.
Flatten and stretch out the pastry on a floured surface. Lay the butter cut in thin slices on top of it and fold the pastry over. Stretch it again. Spread the duck fat over it, fold it over again and let it rest.
The next day,
prepare the chosen fruit. Prunes should be soft and not too dry. The peeled apples or pears are minced.
When the pastry has risen, divide it in two. Roll out one half and lay it in a 30 cm shallow tart pan. Spread the fruit in one layer. Sprinkle over the sugar and vanilla sugar. Sprinkle over the flavoured water.
Roll out the other half of the pastry to make a disk to lay on top. Daub with a mixture of lait, vanilla sugar and egg yolk.
Bake until golden. After removing it from the oven, sprinkle with sugar.

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From 2000 to the end of 2017 ariege.com was a site devoted to tourism in the department of Ariège. The site is minimally maintained now but you can get a flavour of this beautiful area of the Pyrenees.