Wash and stone the cherries. Bring the water to the boil with 5 tablespoons of the sugar, tip in the cherries, boil for 5 minutes and then drain. Wash the raisins well in hot water, then drain them.

Beat the cottage cheese with the egg yolks, remaining sugar and the vanilla sugar.

Dissolve the cornflour in the milk and stir into the pudding mixture. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and fold into the pudding mixture with the raisins.

Fill an ovenproof dish with the mixture, fold in the cherries and bake in a moderate oven (180°C, 350°F, gas 4) for 45 minutes.

Alternatively, this pudding can be made with sweet cherries, raspberries, blackberries or blackcurrants. Adjust the amount of sugar used according to the sweetness of the fruit.