Cherry cream cheese strudel

Tamara West

Other stonefruit or berries can be used in place of cherries in this sweet strudel. Keep the thawed package of filo folded and covered as you go, so it won't dry out. You could use five sheets of filo rather than seven here but the more you use, the flakier the strudel will be. Filo pastry is best served hot or warm.

Ingredients

1	Lime, zest and juice
300 g	Cherries, pitted and roughly chopped, or use other stonefruit or berries (Main)
100 g	Cream cheese
100 g	Ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp	Caster sugar
2	Free-range egg yolks
7 sheets	Filo pastry (Main)
¼ cup	Melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Mix the lime zest and juice through the cherries (or other stonefruit or berries).
2. Whisk cream cheese, ricotta, caster sugar and egg yolks until smooth. Fold in the cherries.
3. On a baking paper-lined tray, place one sheet of filo, brush with melted butter and place another sheet of buttered filo on top. Repeat until you have made a stack with 5-7 pastry sheets.
4. Spread cherry mix on top, leaving a 5cm edge left and right. Brush extra melted butter around the edge and fold the sides in, then roll to a large sausage shape. Turn seam-side down.
5. Brush more melted butter on the outside and bake for 35-40 minutes until coloured and crispy.

Check out more of Warren's strudel recipes

• Apricot and pecan strudel
• Apple strudel
• Potato and sausage strudel