Pear and Chocolate Strudel
Ingredients
200g Bourneville dark chocolate
450g (1 lb) under ripe pears, cored and chopped
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 tbsp thick honey
200g packet cream cheese
25g (1 oz) fresh breadcrumbs
2 tsp ground coriander
50g (1¾ oz) butter, melted
270g packet Jus-Roll filo pastry
Sesame seeds (optional)
For the sauce:
150ml (¼ pint) single cream
2 tbsp honey
Juice of 1 lemon
AGA baking tray
Serves 6 generously
Method
1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces then put ¾ into a bowl with the pears, lemon rind, honey, cream cheese, breadcrumbs and half the coriander, stirring together.
2. Melt the butter with the remaining coriander. Carefully unwrap the pastry, working quickly to avoid the pastry drying out. Use the large Bake-O-Glide Non Slip Roll Out Mat or a clean tea towel and lay 3 sheets of pastry on top, overlapping them, making the short side towards you about 30-36cm (12-14 inches) wide. Brush with butter.
3. Spoon the filling onto the bottom third then lay the remaining sheets of filo over the top, again brushing with butter. Carefully fold in the long sides of pastry before tightly rolling up the Strudel, using the mat to help. Roll onto the baking tray with the join underneath. Brush with butter, sprinkle over sesame seeds.
4. Bake on the oven grid shelf placed on the floor of the Roasting Oven for 20-25 minutes. Protect with the cold plain shelf. Half way during cooking, turn the tray round. Leave to cool before slicing. Serve with the honey sauce.
5. Make the sauce by melting the remaining chocolate with the cream, honey and lemon juice in the Simmering Oven or on the back of the AGA, ensuring it does not get too hot.
Conventional cooking
Bake in a fairly hot oven 200°C (400°F) Gas Mark 6 for about 25 minutes, covering half way through if it is getting too brown.