Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Place the cherries, sugar and brandy in a small saucepan and heat slowly. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Scoop out the cherries with a slotted spoon and keep to one side. Continue cooking the sauce for a further 5 minutes until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Keep to one side.

Mix the Christmas pudding and grated apples in a bowl until well combined. Keep to one side.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo pastry on a clean surface and brush the entire surface lightly with melted butter. Top with another sheet and repeat until you have 4 layers of phyllo pastry (don’t brush the top layer). Do the same with the remaining 4 sheets of pastry, keeping the 2 stacks separate.

Spread the Christmas pudding and apple mixture across the surface of 1 pastry stack, leaving an edge around the sides. Spread the drained cherries evenly on top.

Place the chopped chocolate along the longer length of the phyllo and roll it up, tucking in the edges as you go (the chocolate will be in the middle of the strudel).

Butter the edge of the pastry to seal. Roll this log in the second stack of phyllo pastry, tucking as you go, ensuring that the joined edge is at the underside of the strudel.

Place the strudel onto the prepared baking sheet, brush the tops and sides with melted butter, and bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with some cherry sauce. Serve warm with the remaining cherry sauce and whipped fresh cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.