Baking for Beginners: Pecan and Pear Strudel

M&S really aren't very clever sometimes. Despite their ability to make the very best hangover food in the world, they're also making it very easy to not buy their food. Look, here they are showing me how to make a strudel!

They suggested that I went to M&S to buy one instead, but a quick look in the kitchen and I realised I had the right stuff to whip up my own pear and pecan version. Er... well done M&S. These adverts might look lovely, but they really weren't your smartest move.

You'll need:

• 5 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 pack of filo pastry
• handful of raisins
• handful of pecans all bashed up
• 40g brown sugar
• Maple syrup
• zest of 1 lemon (and juice depending on how sweet your pears are)
• 1tsp ginger
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1/2tsp nutmeg
• butter for brushing

Bake it!

• Preheat the oven to 180/gas mark 5 and grease a loaf tin
• Mix the fruit with the spices and nuts.
• Add the sugar and mix, taste and lemon juice if you feel the mixture needs it. Then throw in a glug of maple syrup (yes, glug is a technical baking term - as in glug in as much as you like)
• Brush your first sheet of filo with butter and lay aside carefully (it's tempting to lay this onto your loaf tin straight away, don't try that, it'll tear and your filling will come out).
• Layer your brushed filo sheets one on top of the other and press gently into your loaf tin.
• Load the mixture into the tin and fold over the pastry. Brush extra butter across the top of the pastry.
• Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
• Serve with cream, and raise a cuppa to M&S.