FILO PASTRIES STUFFED WITH SWEETENED CREAM

These beauties are one of my favourite desserts; I adore flaky pastry and sweetened cream cheese, especially when it is home made.

Makes: 18

Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: about 30 minutes

250g butter, melted

1 x 270g packet of filo sheets

400g caster sugar

200g slivered pistachios, to scatter Crushed dried rose petals, to scatter For the sweetened cream

2 litres full-fat milk

180ml white wine vinegar

2-3tbsp caster sugar

1tbsp butter

150ml double cream

1 For the sweetened cream, place the milk in a saucepan over a low heat and bring to the boil. Once boiled, add the vinegar. The mixture will split, but that’s fine. Pass the milk mixture through a sieve, keeping the curd and discarding all the water.

2 Add 2-3tbsp sugar (according to how sweet you like things) and 1tbsp butter to the curd and mix to combine. Add the double cream, mix well and place in the fridge.

3 Preheat the oven to 220ºc (200ºc fan) mark 7.

4 Meanwhile, place the filo sheets on a couple of large baking trays. Brush each one with the melted butter, then cut about 18 squares from the pastry. Fold each one in half diagonally and place them in the oven for about 20min until they are golden brown.

5 Meanwhile, heat the 400g caster sugar and 250ml water in a pan to dissolve, then cook down to create a nice syrup. It should take about 10-12min. Set aside.

6 When the filo triangles are ready, take them out of the oven, open each one out, stuff them with the sweetened cream and press them back into a triangle shape to hold together.

7 Drizzle the sugar syrup over the top, scatter over the pistachios and rose petals, and serve.

‘IT DESERVES TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TABLE’

Recipes taken from Baladi: Palestine – A Celebration Of Food From Land And Sea by Joudie Kalla (Jacqui Small, out 18th October)