spiced pear strudel bites

Serves: 5

Ingredients:
3 (approx 460g total)  pears, peeled and finely chopped
75g raisins
1 teaspoon mixed spice
250g pack filo pastry
1 egg, beaten
icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method:
preheat the oven to 160ºc. line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. mix together the pears, raisins and mixed spice. set aside.
lay the filo pastry out in 3 piles, each with 3 sheets stacked. cut each pile into quarters – you will now have 16 piles consisting of 3 square pieces of filo.
work with one pile at a time and cover the remaining filo with a clean damp tea towel. brush one side of each sheet with egg wash. stack together, placing each square slightly offset.
place around 2 tbsp of the pear mixture in the centre. pull up the pastry around the filling and scrunch to seal, flaring out the top very slightly. place on the baking sheet and brush with egg wash. repeat with the remaining filo and filling.
bake for 20-25 mins until golden and the pastry is crisp. allow to cool for 10 mins, dust with icing sugar, if using, and eat warm. or allow to cool for 10 mins, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and eat cold.