Filo is a thin, light pastry that crisps beautifully and works equally well in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is notoriously difficult to make - even Mary Berry buys hers pre-made - and handling it can be tricky. Before you begin, take a look at our guide on how to work with filo to avoid tearing or drying out your pastry.

Although filo pastry is made up of delicate layers, when cooked it holds its shape and thus is perfect for making sturdy canapés to be eaten by hand; for a savoury snack packed with flavour try Adam Stokes' squid cornets, or to make stunning petit fours, try Paul Ainsworth's raspberry meringue pies.

Filo pastry can also be incorporated into delicious main meals. Dominic Chapman's cheese and bean pie recipe offers a classic dish the kids will love, or for an impressive aromatic centrepiece Greg Malouf's pigeon bisteeya is a filo pie recipe that beautifully combines sweet and savoury flavours.