Sunday munch

I'm going retro today, and making a couple of recipes from the archive for lunch: creamy chicken and bacon pie with crisp filo pastry, and a pear and ginger cake studded with chunks of juicy pear and smothered in ginger syrup. Click here for the pie recipe and here for the cake.

I've always loved filo pastry, but shied away from the hassle of dealing with it. When making this pie I had a lightbulb-pastry-moment: simply take up the filo and scrunch it onto the pie filling, then brush all over with melted butter and bake. Less fat, less faff. 

One sheet at a time

This recipe feeds 4 generously. I often hive off a bit of the mixture and freeze it to make a child-size portion for another day. If you are making it ahead, cook the filling and allow it to cool (it will sit happily in the fridge for a couple of days), then add the pastry and butter just before you bake it.

Everyone loves a ginger

The pear and ginger cake is baked in a loaf tin and won't win prizes for its looks. Mine often ends up concave instead of beautifully domed - but that's because of the pear and the syrupy bits of ginger weighing it down. Serve it warm with thick cream or ice cream, or cooled and sliced.