Fresh Fig And Pear Strudel With Ginger Cream

Okay….so you are going to show off tonight. Why not? Do this and you will be…

Serves 8

•  1 1/2 lbs. fresh figs, stemmed, cut into 6 wedges each
• 1 1/2 lbs firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
•  1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup frozen cranberry-raspberry concentrate, thawed
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Generously butter a large baking sheet. Place the fruit pieces on the baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar and roast for about twenty minutes until tender and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and transfer the fruit to a bowl to cool. Stir in the concentrate and lemon zest and chill until cold.

 Strudel

• 6 tbsp dried bread crumbs
• 4 tbsp sugar
•  1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 10 thawed phyllo sheets
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Butter another baking sheet. Mix the crumbs, three tbsp of sugar and one tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Place a clean kitchen towel on work surface. Place one phyllo sheet on towel with short edge toward edge of work surface. Be sure to cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out.

 Brush phyllo sheet with some melted butter, sprinkle with one-eighth bread crumb mixture. Repeat this with two more phyllo sheets, first the butter then one-eighth of crumb mixture each. Top with the fifth phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter. With a slotted spoon, place one-half of the mixture along one short side of pastry stack.  Be sure to leave a one inch border along the long sides.  Sprinkle one-half tbsp sugar and one-quarter tsp over the fruit mixture.

Brush folded sides with butter. With short sides, start rolling being sure to enclose all the fruit. Brush all over with melted butter and place strudel with seam side down on baking sheet. Repeat the very same procedure with the second strudel.

This can now be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge.

To bake, position rack in centre of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

 Once again, brush the strudel with melted butter and bake about twenty minutes until golden in colour. Cool this for about ten minutes. Cut with a serrated knife on the diagonal, discarding the ends (yes, you can taste). Stand one piece on each plate and put a dollop of ginger cream on the side of  the strudel. Serve this dessert warm.

Ginger Cream

• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp minced peeled ginger
• 2 1/4 tbsp Berry sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream

Combine the water and ginger in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar melts. Simmer this now for about five-six minutes until it becomes syrupy. In a medium bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form and carefully fold in the ginger mixture.

 This can be made earlier in the day (about four hours before) and kept chilled in the fridge.

After serving this, your guests will have gone home, picked up their sleepingbags and returned.  They really will not want to leave.