Serves 12
1x 680g jar morello sour cherries, drained
400g Christmas pudding, crumbled
2 tbsp brandy
2 large green apples, peeled, coarsely grated
11 sheets filo pastry
60g dark chocolate, left in blocks
100g butter, melted
1 tbsp flaked almonds
Icing sugar, to serve
Brandy Cream
300ml thickened cream
3 tbsp icing sugar
½ cup (125g) mascarpone
2-3 tbsp brandy
Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease and line a large baking tray with paper. Place drained cherries onto paper towel, allowing excess moisture to be absorbed.
Combine pudding pieces with brandy and apples, mix to moisten.
On a clean surface, lay down a sheet of filo pastry, brush surface with butter. Top with another sheet and repeat until you have used 5 sheets. Make a separate stack, but use 6 sheets.
Cover stack of 6 sheets with a clean tea towel, to ensure the pastry does not dry out while preparing strudel roll.
On the 5 stack, spread all of the pudding mixture, leaving approximately 5cm on the shorter ends. Top with cherries. Place blocks of chocolate on the long edge (this will ensure chocolate will be in the centre as you roll strudel). Roll from the long end, folding edges to enclose, seam down.
Place strudel onto the second stack of pastry, roll to enclose, ensuring seam end down when placed onto prepared tray. Brush with butter, sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Meanwhile, prepare brandy cream. Whip cream and sugar with electric beaters, fold in mascarpone and brandy. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Dust strudel with icing sugar, slice and serve with brandy cream
