Pudding at Christmas can be an afterthought. It’s a shame, but I get it – there’s usually an enormous bird and many trimmings to consider, so it’s no surprise that people want something quick and easy to finish their meal (that’s if they don’t just resort to the giant tin of Quality Street). This very low-effort pudding is just the ticket: speedy, impressive and a perfect balance of crunchy, creamy and boozy.
Clementine filo cheesecake pudding
Prep 20 min
Macerate 20 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 6
5 clementines (or 3 oranges), peeled and segmented
2 tbsp caster sugar
50ml Grand Marnier or Cointreau
2 star anise
4 sheets filo pastry
100g unsalted butter, melted
100g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp sesame seeds
200g cream cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
250ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 handful shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
Put the clementine segments in a shallow bowl with the sugar, liqueur and star anise, then leave to macerate for at least 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Lay one sheet of filo pastry on a lined baking tray, then brush the top all over with melted butter and dust with a little icing sugar. Lay another sheet of filo on top and repeat, until you’ve used all four sheets. Brush the top layer with butter, dust with icing sugar and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until well browned, then remove and leave to cool. Once cool, break into shards.
Put the cream cheese, lemon zest and icing sugar in a bowl and mix until smooth. In a second bowl, lightly whip the cream with the vanilla to very soft peaks. Gently fold the cream into the cream cheese mix.
To serve, spoon dollops of the cheesecake filling into bowls, top with a few of the syrupy clementines and shards of filo, and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
