Ingredients
375g Antoniou Fillo Pastry
150g unsalted butter, melted
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
300ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
3 eggs, lightly whisked
250g strawberries, sliced
Icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Before you begin this Fillo Pastry recipe, take your Fillo Pastry out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature in its packaging.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius, fan forced.
Assembling the Pastry
Grease a 30cm round baking dish with butter. Lay one sheet of Filo Pastry in the baking dish, allowing the edges to overhang. Brush with butter. Repeat this step with four more sheets of Pastry, rotating them slightly to cover all the sides. Trim any excess Pastry overhanging and add it to the base of the dish.
Lay one sheet of Fillo pastry onto your workspace, with the long side of the Fillo Pastry facing you. Brush with butter. Lay another sheet of Fillo on top and brush with butter. Using your fingers, roughly fold the Pastry in a concertina design. Coil the Pastry into a spiral, ensuring it is not too tight. Transfer to the centre of the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining Fillo Pastry, placing it around the centre spiral until the tray is full. Be sure not to compact the Pastry too closely together, as you want to create pockets for the custard to fall in when you add it.
Drizzle and brush the Fillo Pastry with the remaining butter. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Making the cheesecake filling
Mix the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the thickened cream and vanilla bean paste, and whisk until well combined. Fold in the sugar and flour until well until combined. Fold in the eggs and mix well.
Slowly pour the filling over the Fillo Pastry, ensuring it seeps into all the cavities. Shake the dish lightly to evenly distribute the filling and allow to sit for five minutes, so the custard seeps through to the base. Slot the sliced strawberries between the Fillo Pastry layers.
Transfer the dish back into the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes until the Pastry is golden and the filling has mostly set. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely before sprinkling icing sugar over the top. It can be enjoyed once cooled, or refrigerated and enjoyed later.
Learn how to make a Strawberry Fillo Crinkle Cheesecake.