Baklava meets mince pie. Yum! It’s all down to the filo pastry and brushing each
layer with plenty of melted butter as you go (we never said this was a health dish)
Serves 6-8
100g unsalted butter
Zest of one orange (or 2-3 clementines), plus extra for garnish
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
4 sheets of filo pastry
4 tbsp toasted, chopped hazelnuts
400g mincemeat
1 large pear, stalk removed, grated
1 tbsp demerara sugar
To garnish:
Curls of orange or clementine zest
Extra nuts and/or icing sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Over a low-medium heat, melt the butter in a pan, with the zest, cinnamon, mixed spice and sugar.
2 Line a baking sheet with baking paper and lay out the first sheet of filo. Brush with the butter mixture and sprinkle over a tablespoon of the hazelnuts. Place the next sheet on top and repeat the process until all four sheets have been coated. Keep the remaining butter to brush the top.
3 Lay the filo so that the sheets are landscape, then add a column of mincemeat down the centre and top with the grated pear. Bring one side of the pastry over and fold around the filling, then repeat with the other side.
4 You may need to turn the strudel so that it fits lengthwise on the tray. Brush the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 25 – 30 mins, or until the pastry is golden brown.
5 Remove and allow to cool on a rack, or serve warm. Garnish with orange zest, extra nuts and a light dusting of icing sugar.
This delicious dessert is just one of the puds in our feature The Proof is in the Pudding, from our December issue (in shops now). It also includes recipes for Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, Pavlova with Christmas-Spiced Pears & Pistachios and Winterberry Prosecco Trifle. All excellent alternatives to a traditional Christmas Pud!
