Honeyed Filo with Poached Pears and Pistachios

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 60g caster sugar
• 10cm long lemon peel
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 small pears, peeled, halved and cored
• 6 sheets filo pastry
• 100g butter, melted
• 6 Tblsps honey
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 100g pistachios, chopped roughly
• Edible flowers, petals picked

Method

• Preheat your Belling oven to 200°C in a conventional function, or 180°C fanned. Line a baking sheet with paper and put aside.
• Place the sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon and 600ml of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil.
• Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, then add in the pears. Lower the heat to medium (or 3-4 in induction) and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pears look slightly transparent and soft, but not falling apart.
• Remove from the heat, drain pears and reserve them. Reduce the syrup by bringing again to the boil, then simmering in medium-high heat (level 5 in induction) and stirring occasionally until slightly thick.
• Pour the syrup over the pears. When completely cold, add in the rosewater and stir gently.
• Brush a sheet of filo with melted butter. Sprinkle some sugar on top and layer another sheet of pastry on top. Repeat, so you have a stack of 3 filo sheets and set aside. Repeat making another stack with the other 3 sheets.
• Cut each pastry stack into quarters. Cut each quarter by half and place pieces on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle with honey and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy golden. Transfer into a cooling rack.
• To serve, place one pear half in a bowl, add a little of the syrup, and scatter some edible flower petals over. Place a scoop of ice cream in each bowl, a serving of the honeyed filo, drizzle some more syrup and top with chopped pistachios. /span>
• Serve immediately.