AROMATIC PEAR STRUDEL
Fruit strudels are made healthy with little
oil and healthy sweeteners. They can be
eaten as a dessert, for breakfast, packed in
lunchboxes or picnic baskets. This is a nice
combination of sweet pears and untreated
(unsulfured) dried apricots with a touch of
rum, vanilla and citrus aroma.
Makes: 20 slices
• 500g (18oz) filo pastry
• 125g (1 cup) unsulfured dried apricots,
chopped
• 2 tbsp rum or mirin
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Freshly squeezed juice and grated zest
of 2 lemons or oranges
• Pinch of salt
• 8 ripe pears
• 85ml (⅓ cup) apple juice concentrate
or pure maple syrup
• 65ml (¼ cup) coconut oil mixed with
4 tbsp water
• 40 x 28cm baking tray, lightly oiled
1 Take the filo sheets out of the fridge 30
minutes before making the strudel. This will
prevent the sheets from cracking during
baking.
2 Meanwhile, put the apricots in a bowl
with the salt, rum, vanilla extract, lemon
juice and zest and allow to soak while you
prepare the pears, or longer if possible.
3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4,
350°F).
4 Peel and core the pears. Cut them into
small cubes and mix them with the soaked
apricots and the apple concentrate or
syrup. Divide the mixture into 5 equal
portions.
5 Place a sheet of filo on a dry work surface
with the longer side facing you. (Cover the
remaining sheets with clingfilm to prevent
them from drying out.)
6 Brush the coconut-oil mixture lightly over
the sheet. Cover it with another sheet (this
one doesn’t need oiling).
7 Spread one portion of pears lengthwise
along the bottom edge of the sheet.
Arrange them in a 6-cm -wide strip, leaving
a 2-cm edge on each side to prevent the
filling from spilling out.