Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6. Put all the ingredients except for the pastry, butter and icing sugar into a large bowl and mix well.
2. Take a large baking sheet and place on one sheet of filo pastry so it covers the top left part of the baking sheet. Ensure at least a third of it hangs off the baking sheet. Paint a 2.5cm/1” length of melted butter on the sides of the pastry which are on the baking sheet. Then put another sheet of pastry to the top right part of the baking sheet, overlapping the first sheet. The melted butter will help the pastry sheets stick together. Paint melted butter on the bottom side of this second sheet of pastry. Now add a third and fourth sheet of pastry on the bottom of the baking sheet again using the butter as glue.
3. Spoon the pear mixture onto the filo pastry making a long sausage shape in the middle of the pastry. Keep the pear mixture as tight as possible. Bring up the sides of the overhanging pastry to cover the pear mixture. Then use the top remaining sheets of pastry to top the strudel. Paint the strudel with the remaining melted butter and place in the preheated oven.
4. Cook for 30 – 40 minutes in the oven until lightly browned on top. Let the strudel cool a little before dusting with icing sugar. You can cut off the ends of the strudel to make it more attractive before serving. I don’t tend to bother with this.