Defrost 6 sheets of filo. They should measure roughly 25cm x 30cm. Melt 80g of butter in a small pan. Weigh out 125g of caster sugar. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.
Line a second baking sheet with baking parchment. Lay a sheet of filo on the baking parchment and brush it generously with some of the melted butter. Dust with about 2 generous tbsp of the caster sugar, then place a second sheet of filo on top, brush with butter and then again dust with caster sugar. Continue until you have used all the pastry, butter and sugar.
Put the baking sheet on the preheated baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven, score the pastry into 16 rectangles, but don’t separate them. Leave to cool.
Gently whip 250ml of double cream. It should be firm enough to stand in soft peaks. Stir in 100g mascarpone with a few drops of vanilla extract and leave in the fridge to chill.
Remove the stalks and stones from 200g of cherries and toss them with 100g of raspberries. Have ready 8 sprigs of redcurrants (not essential, but nevertheless rather lovely; use extra raspberries instead if you prefer).
Using a sharp knife, separate the pastry into 16 rectangles. Place 8 of the pastry pieces on the work surface, then spread thickly with some of the cream and mascarpone mixture. Spoon the cherries and raspberries over the cream, then place a second piece of pastry on top of each. Finish with a sprig of redcurrants or a few raspberries. Makes 8. Ready in 1 hour
I suggest raspberries and cherries, but yYou could substitute other soft fruits as they come into season. Mulberries would be glorious, but blackberries are good, too, as are slices of ripe peach or nectarine.
You can make the sugar pastry beforehand and store in an airtight container. It will keep for a day or two in a cool place, though not the fridge.
Assemble the pastries only at the last minute, so the filo stays crisp.
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