Ingredients
| 200g fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, defrosted | |
| 3 tablespoons sugar | |
| 1 tablespoon orange juice | |
| 4 tablespoons cornflour | |
| 250g ricotta | |
| 1 egg yolk | |
| 6 tablespoons (approx 45g) icing sugar | |
| zest of 1 orange | |
| 1 tablespoon caster sugar, plus a little extra | |
| 9 sheets filo pastry | |
| 70g butter, melted | |
| 4 tablespoons ground almonds | |
| 3 tablespoons flaked almonds |
This simple strudel is not too sweet and is also great with other berries. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid to the blueberries otherwise it can rupture the pastry. For the same reason, I use a good-quality ricotta and if it is a little wet I strain it for 15 minutes. I’ve made it as one large strudel but it could be made into small individual parcels if you prefer.
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Instructions
| 1. | Combine the blueberries, sugar and orange juice in a saucepan and set aside for 15 minutes. |
| 2. | Stir through 1 tablespoon cornflour, bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Set aside to cool. |
| 3. | Mix the ricotta with the egg yolk, icing sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons cornflour and orange zest. |
| 4. | Sprinkle the caster sugar evenly onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. |
| 5. | Lay down a piece of filo with the longest length towards you. |
| 6. | Brush with butter and sprinkle with a little of the ground almonds. |
| 7. | Repeat with remaining filo sheets stacking and layering as you go. |
| 8. | Dollop the ricotta along the length of the filo, about 4cm from the edge, and spoon the blueberries on top. |
| 9. | Fold over the short edges of the pastry, butter the ends then roll up the filo, ensuring that the seam side is downwards. |
| 10. | Brush the top with melted butter, poke a couple of holes in the top of the filo and scatter over the flaked almonds and a little more sugar. |
| 11. | Put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking (this helps to set the filo). |
| 12. | Heat the oven to 180°C. |
| 13. | Bake the strudel for 30-35 minutes until golden. |
| 14. | Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting. |
| 15. | Use a serrated knife to cut into diagonal slices. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Jo Bridgeford