Where are my cheesecake lovers? Impossible to resist a slice. Crunchy ginger base with creamy vanilla topping adorned with sweet juicy blueberries and strawberries. I had the compliment of someone saying this was the best cheesecake they ever tasted when I served this. I’d be inclined to agree.

A simple dessert that looks and tastes like you have gone to so much more effort. What’s more it’s no bake!

Make this for the cheesecake lovers in your life.

Ingredients

300g ginger nut biscuits

100g butter

150ml double cream

350g cream cheese

100g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cup of blueberries

Cup of strawberries

Method

Line and grease an 8 inch loose bottomed tin with greaseproof paper

Blitz your biscuits into crumbs however you desire. I wrap in wax wrap and smash with a rolling pin.

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan and add the crumbs. Stir to coat every crumb.

Press the coated crumbs into a loose bottomed cake tin to form the base of the cheesecake. Press down firmly with your fist to ensure a neat base.

Pop in the fridge to chill while you prepare the topping.

In a large mixing bowl tip in your cream cheese, cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar. Whisk together for a couple of minutes so all the ingredients combine beautifully.

Remove base from fridge and spread over the creamy topping.

Arrange your berries on top and pop back in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Serve on a cake stand for added beauty.

This pineapple sorbet brings back great memories of having frozen sorbet in a fruit shell at the Indian restaurant when I was a kid. They are the easiest thing ever to make and kids and adults with love them. Add a sneaky shot of Malibu into the adult ones if you fancy.

Ingredients

1 small pineapple

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

Method

Simply scoop out your pineapple leaving just the shell with about 1 cm of pineapple around the inside.

Blend your pineapple, lemon juice and honey until smooth and transfer to the inside of the pineapple.

Freeze overnight for best results.

It’s national ice cream month. To celebrate I’ve made homemade blueberry ice cream with a blueberry coulis. Unbelievably easy to make and perfect to cool you down in the heat.

I served with lots of fresh strawberries.

serves 4

Ingredients

300g double cream

300g frozen blueberries

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50g light brown sugar

Coulis

100g blueberries

1 dessert spoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon icing sugar

2 tablespoons water

Method

Simply add all your ingredients to the blender and whizz in a food processor.

Transfer to a freezer proof container, a deep cake tin works wonders. Cover and freeze overnight.

Remove from freezer 15 minutes before you need to serve.

For the coulis

Heat all your ingredients for the coulis over a low heat in a pan and simmer gently until the blueberries soften. Whizz the ingredients in a blender or with a stick blender which is easier for smaller quantities and pour over the ice cream.

My mum’s trifle is the best. Takes me back to my childhood. Soak the sponge in orange juice for kids or sherry for grown ups. Perfect for a garden party or celebration.

Ingredients

1 swiss roll or similar sponge cake – sliced into rounds

100ml of either orange juice or sherry if preferred

150g raspberries

Small can of mandarins

400g tin of custard

300ml double cream

Chocolate to crumble over the top – 1 Flake or 1 Ripple are ideal

Method

Line the bottom of your trifle bowl ( always a glass one) with your swiss roll rounds or other sponge cake and pour over your orange juice or sherry.

Add your mandarins on top and then your custard.

Whip up your cream so it holds it shape but be careful not to over whip or it will be difficult to spread over the custard. Once whipped but still drops off the spoon easily, spread over your custard.

Dot on your raspberries and crumble over your chocolate.

What could be simpler.

I buy so many lollies as my girls adore them but I love coming up with my own versions. These Bucks Fizz lollies are perfect for a hot day and so easy to make. Perfect if you have any prosecco left over. I can’t believe I just said that. Maybe just buy some extra prosecco to make the lollies.

Traditionally Bucks Fizz is made using champagne but let’s be honest here I doubt anyone is going to waste good champagne on making a lolly as that is a bit extra.

Don’t drive the car after!

Per Lolly

Ingredients

50 ml Prosecco

25 ml Fresh orange juice

Method

I haven’t given exact measurements of what to buy as the ratio of fizz to orange juice is so simple, but a bottle of prosecco and a carton of juice will make lots.

Simply mix up a jug of 2 parts prosecco and 1 part orange juice and pour into your lolly moulds to fill. Add the stick and freeze overnight.

I love June. So much beautiful fresh produce to take your pick from. Strawberries and rhubarb are two of my favourites. I’ll never tire with my love affair of eating crumbles, possibly one of my favourite desserts. The only dilemma is whether to have ice cream or custard. I tend to have custard in the Winter and ice cream in the Summer to change it up a little but both are equally as tempting. I hope you like this summery version and enjoy it just the way you like it.

Serves 6

Ingredients

350g rhubarb

Cup of strawberries

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

225g plain flour

75g butter – diced

100g sugar

1/2 cup oats

Method

Pre heat oven to 190C / 170C fan

Trim the rhubarb into chunks. I cut mine about an inch long.

Spread in your baking dish along with the strawberries and sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, cinnamon and the vanilla. Set aside and make your crumble topping.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together your diced butter, sugar and flour. Rub together to form the crumbly topping. Sprinkle all over the fruit and lastly scatter over the oats.

Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes until the fruit stops bubbling and serve in your desired way.

I don’t know about you but I’m always piping a union jack on my pavlova! I hope you like this special version I’ve done to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Being serious though, it’s quicker and easier to construct than you think, just remember to make the meringue the day before you need it, leaving the meringue to sit in the oven to cool overnight. It will be the star of the table at any Jubilee party.

Ingredients

4 large egg whites

225g caster sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Juice of half a lemon

To decorate

300ml double cream

11 raspberries

24 blueberries

Method

Pre heat oven to 130c / 110c fan

Draw a circle the size of a dinner plate approx 20cm on a piece of baking paper. Cut it out of the paper.

Place baking paper on a baking tray, I used a circular one.

In a large bowl whisk your egg whites and bit by bit add your sugar whisking until they hold stiff peaks.

Beat in your cornflour, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Spoon the meringue mix onto the baking paper with a well in the centre.

Bake on the middle shelf of oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn oven off without opening the door and leave to cool preferably overnight otherwise for at least 4 hours.

When you remove the meringue from the oven the next day it will be crunchy but also chewy inside which makes it perfect. When you are ready to serve whip up your double cream so it is thick enough to spread half of it onto your meringue in a square shape without running. Put the rest of the cream in a piping bag.

Now pop on your fruit in a union jack formation ( copy my picture for ease) and pipe along the edges of the fruit with the rest of the cream to accentuate.

Having an amazing time making memories at your party.

If you are a fan of Bailey’s you are going to love this. A crunchy chocolate cookie base and creamy topping laced with Bailey’s and topped with chocolate shavings.

Ingredients

Base

250g chocolate cookies

120g butter

Topping

360g cream cheese – I used Philadelphia

4 tablespoons Bailey’s

100g icing sugar

200ml double cream

1 Ripple or Twirl chocolate bar – crumbled

Method

Start by greasing and lining an 8″ loose bottomed cake tin.

Wrap your cookies in wax wrap and bash into pieces with a rolling pin, You can do this by blitzing in a food processor if you prefer.

Melt your butter in a large saucepan over a low heat and stir in your cookie crumbs. Mix to ensure they all get coated in the butter.

Transfer them to your cake tin and press down to make a firm base.

Pop in the fridge while you mix up your cheesecake topping.

In a large bowl beat together your cream cheese, double cream and icing sugar. When fully combined measure out your Bailey’s and add it to the mixture. Fold in gently.

When all your ingredients are smooth and creamy spoon onto your cheesecake base and allow to set in the fridge. I leave mine overnight but a few hours will be fine.

Slide out your cheesecake from the tin and set on your desired serving plate. Sprinkle over your crumbled chocolate.

I love anything lemon and this cheesecake is so creamy, light, fluffy and bursting with zesty lemoniness. I buy the best unwaxed lemons I can find and grate a little over the top for decoration. The marscapone gives it real indulgent taste. I don’t think a little comfort food would do any harm at the moment.

Ingredients

180g cream cheese

250g marscapone

100ml single cream

100g icing sugar

Juice and zest of 2 lemons ( reserve a little zest to decorate)

Base

300g digestive biscuits

100g butter

Method

Start by greasing and lining an 8″ loose bottomed cake tin.

Wrap your biscuits in wax wrap and bash into pieces with a rolling pin, You can do this by blitzing in a food processor if you prefer.

Melt your butter in a large saucepan over a low heat and stir in your biscuit crumbs. Mix to ensure they all get coated in the butter.

Transfer them to your cake tin and press down to make a firm base.

Pop in the fridge while you mix up your cheesecake topping.

Grate the zest of your lemons into a bowl and set aside. I do this on the small grating side.

In a large bowl beat together your cream cheese, marscapone, cream and icing sugar. When fully combined squeeze in your lemon juice making sure no pips fall into the mixture. I do this over a sieve. Now add your zest reserving a little to sprinkle over the top for decoration when the cheesecake is set.

When all your ingredients are smooth and creamy spoon onto your cheesecake base and allow to set in the fridge. I leave mine overnight.

Slide out your cheesecake from the tin and leave on the metal base and set on your desired serving plate. Sprinkle over your lemon zest.

Tip: When squeezing your lemons insert a fork into the centre and twist while squeezing to get as much juice out as possible.