Sometimes when you preparing a meal and simple dessert made with fresh fruit goes down a treat. One such dessert which is easy to make yet delicious is a traditional Fruit Crumble.

Use seasonal fruits from your garden or local market and don’t be afraid to mix more than one fruit together and experiment with the crumble topping by adding nuts, spices or even oats to add flavour and crunch. Other things to add are dried fruits like raisins and sultanas, oats, museli, branflakes, coconuts and variety of nuts.

Remember to use your cookery notebook so you can remember what you change so you have it for future reference when you guests tell you how much they enjoyed this version to a previous one.

For your fruit crumble you are going to need:100g flour (I like to mix 50g wholemeal and 50g of plain together), 50g brown sugar, 50g margarine or butter, 500g fruit of your choice.

Prepare your fruit, peel, chop and place in small amount of water 2 to 3 tablespoons in a saucepan with 25g sugar and bring to the boil before simering for 5 minutes. Place your fruit in a oven proof dish. Mix your crumble by rubbing in the fat (margarine or butter, I prefer butter), into the flour mix until mixture resembles breadcrumbs and add the other 25g sugar and stir. Now spoon this crumble mix over your fruit then bake in the oven at 190 c or gas 5 for 20 minutes until the crumble top is golden.

To serve some traditional puddings in this great generic ethos hells kitchen standard ovenware 5 piece red and white set is ideal with a range of different shapes and sizes for all the different recipes you will cook including lids.

Find another great traditional pudding recipe on my previous blog a mouthful of heaven and milking it.

Serve hot with custard, ice cream or cream. Tell me about your favourite traditional dessert recipe, another of my personal favourites has to be bread & butter pudding, whats yours?

At this time of year we are inundated with fruits as we harvest from the fruit trees and hedgerows. I seem to have a abundance of apples, pears and plums this year (blame it on the weather). So with jams and preserves being made aswell as freezing to preserve for later use I love to cook this Swedish Apple Dessert my grandmother shown me.

In this dessert we use bread which is a important contribution to our daily intake of carbohydrates, B vitamins, iron, calcium and protein along with fibre if wholemeal variety used. This recipe gives you another way in which to use this ingredient to make a scrumptious dessert which is happily served with cream as a dessert or as a afternoon cake with tea, the choice is yours so have a go its delicious!

For my Swedish Apple Dessert you are going to need:1kg cooking apples peeled, cored and sliced, 1 lemon, 100g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 100g butter, 225g breadcrumbs of your choice, 1 tblsp icing sugar and toasted almonds to decorate.

Cook your apples in a covered saucepan in minimum water (around 6 tblsp), once soft add the grated rind of the lemon and 4 tblsps lemon juice, the cinnamon and sugar then beat to a pulp. Melt the butter in another saucepan and add the breadcrumbs stirring well until the butter is fully absorbed. Now grease a 15 to 18 cm cake tin of your choice remember to line with greaseproof paper if not using silicone bakeware or a loose bottom tin. Press one third of the breadcrumbs onto the bottom of your prepared tin, then add a layer of the apple and continue layering breadcrumbs and apples finishing with a layer of breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes then cool before turning out. When cooled sift the icing sugar over the top and decorate with toasted almonds and slices of apple if you wish.

You can use plums for this recipe well which also tastes delicious. This dessert is also great for freezing as I like to have one for christmas ( I know that banned word) but you can freeze this for 6 months.

For great silicone bakeware which you always hear me praising as everyone who trys them never goes back to conventional tins take a look or see my previous blog silicone bakeware makes it oh so easy to clean.

Find a great preserve recipe in my previous blog apples falling early in freak british weather, another great apple recipe can be found on my blog fathers day roast, and for the apple pie recipe everyone loves see my blog meanwhile back in the kitchen to celebrate apple day.  Have you got a seasonal fruit recipe to share with all of us, drop me a line.

Tip - If you have got alot of pear and apples my grandmother taught me to wrap the good fruit in paper and place in a box in a cool area off the floor for keeping and this does work. Keep you box somewhere dry away from damp.

I know we have all been talking about the British weather as we do and how odd the weather has been again this summer, but a change is in the air and there appears to be a bumper crop of blackberries on the hedgerow which started to change early this year due to the extremes hot & wet days we have been having.

Looking for a quick dessert to finish off our scrummy barbecue by the sea I couldn’t think of a better dessert than my Creamy Blackberry Fool, (you cab use other fruits if you have a favourite you want to substitute the blackberries for).

Stock up on your blackberries when they are at their peak and freeze them for use throughout the year as they will keep in the freezer for 6 months and make a wonderful fruit crumble or sauce to accompany meats etc.

For my Creamy blackberry fool your going to need: 450g blackberries, grated rind and juice of a lime, 284ml pot of double cream, 100g caster sugar and 300ml pot of greek style yogurt (or your homemade see my previous blog yogurt recipes depend on milk used   )

Start by palcing your cleaned blackberries in a bowl reserving a few for decoration. Sprinkle over the lime rind juice and sugar and leave to stand for at least 5 minutes for the sugar to dissolve and turn syrupy. Then using a wooden spoon roughtly crish your blackberries (again if you prefer a smoother consistency blend slightly). Put the cream in a chilled bowl again reserving a little for decoration and whip the cream into soft peaks then using a spatula stir in the greek yogurt and mix well. (Note that greek yogurt has the highest fat content so gives a creamier flavour however you can use creme fraiche or fromage frais as alternatives if you wish).

Now alternate layer the blackberries and the cream and yogurt mix into parfait glasses or tall glasses and top with reserved cream and fruit. You can also for another variation add a layer of crumbled chocolate muffins or cookies, add a little alcohol for a special dessert and top with drizzle caramel.

Whats your quick and easy seasonal dessert?? have you a variation on my fool dessert to share with us, then send it in. Our barbecue went great although a little chilly but the guests never noticed as the food kept on coming along with the wine. Tell me about your summer barbecues and parties.

Blueberries are sold fresh or processed as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, purée, juice, or dried or infused berries which in turn may be used in a variety of consumer goods such as jellies, jams, pies, muffins, snack foods, and cereals. With notably high levels of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber. You will also hear the blueberry being called a so called superfood because of its nutritional value. Blueberry production in North America typically starts in mid-May (in Florida) and ends in September.

Why not try this family seasonal favourite of our, a superb blueberry frangipane flan made with a tangy lemon pastry case filled with nutty sweet slmond filling filled with ripe delicious blueberries.

You will need: 2 tbsp coffee, 3 tbsp milk, 50g butter, 50g caster sugar, 1 egg, 115g ground almonds, 15ml plain shifted flour, 225g blueberries, 2 tblsp jam, 15ml brandy and creme fraiche. For your pastry - 175g plain flour, 115g butter, 25g sugar, finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp chilled water.

First preheat your oven to 190 c/375 f/ gas 5. to make your pastry sift your flour into a bowl and rub in the butter, then stir in the sugar and lemon rind than add the water and mix to a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the refridgerator for at least 20 minutes. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface and use this to line a 23cm flan tin. Line the pastry with greasedproof paper and baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes. (Check out my previous blogs on baking blind pastry cases and freezing for your convenience).

Remove from the oven and make your filling by putting the coffee in a bowl, bring the milk to the boil then pour over the coffee and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Then cream the butter and sugar until pale with a hand mixer or wooden spoon, then beat in the egg and add the almonds and flour. Strain in the coffee flavoured milk and fold in. Spoon the coffee mixture into the pastry case and spread out evenly. Scatter the blueberries over the top and push them down in to the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes until firm, cover with foil to prevent burning on the top after about 20 minutes of baking. Remove your tart and allow to cool slightly, meanwhile heat your jam and brandy in a saucepan until melted and brush over your flan. Remove from the tin and serve warm with creme fraiche. Delightful!!

If you enjoy baking make sure you try the great strawberry muffin recipe in my previous blog real family favourite muffin and why not make baking easy with my previous blog silicone bakeware makes baking oh so easy.

Have you got a summer favourite dessert? why not tell us about it and what makes it your favourite, this is definitly one of mine the flavours together with the delicate almond filling and tangy pastry make this a dessert you come back for another peice of!

Sometimes while partying through the summer and lighter nights after eating all those nibbly bits from your barbecue, your simply looking for a simple dessert to satisfy both those savoury and sweet tooths amoungst all of your guests.

Recently, while gathering friends and family were busy munching away at my homemade burgers, my friend Claire disappeared to my freezer to find out what homemade icecreams I had on the go. I tell you there are no secrets in my house. Followed closely by Mel the 2 of them emerged from my garage with wide beamed smiles.

One icecream variety each, before chaos persued in my kitchen. But hey, in my house thats normal, and we always end up in the kitchen! Funny that, all these rooms in my house and suddenly all your guests try to fit in one room!

Anyway, Claire having a savoury tooth loves my pistachio nut icecream and after finding the biggest spoon she could lay her hands on; both Emma and Claire dug in to the icecream to make themselves a big bowl full. Before they disappeared up my garden with bowl in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, before they ate all their icecream and started on the cheese and fruit.

However, Mel has a sweet tooth and she had my vanilla and honey homemade icecream, which by now everyone was having a taste of. So I decided, lets make some sweet fruity kebabs and serve them with this delicious sweet icecream.

Brilliant, just like “can’t cook won’t cook”, everyone wanted a go. So preheating the grill so some people could use the barbecue and the others my grill & griddle, we set about making our kebabs. Your going to need for my sweet fruity kebabs - 75ml freshly squeezed orange juice, 15ml honey, 30ml water, 16 strawberries, 1/2 mango peeled, stoned and cut into 8 pieces, 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cut into 16 pieces, 1 banana peeled and cut into 8 pieces and of course a tub of icecream (whether thats homemade or from your local farm shop).

First preheat the grill as I had above, then slowly bring the water, orange juice and honey to the boil, stirring until the honey is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Meanwhile thread the fruits alternately on to 8 wooden skewers. Place onto a grill rack or barbecue and cook the kebabs for about 8 minutes, basting them occasionally with the honey syrup. Once golden serve the cooked fruity kebabs with a scoop of your favourite ice cream and drizzle with any extra syrup. A dish to delight any sweet tooth, trust me and loads of fun to do!

Never the less to say, I spend nearly an hour making batches of kebabs and syrup for everyone, before joining the rest of them now all under the glowing lanterns in my garden where all was in full swing with a great game of pictionary, (while a bit tipsy) in teams which was hilarious! and while I am thinking about Jacob you owe me a meerkat statue!!! Nothing can beat a great night of good food, good company, great friends and family and loads of memories!

What games do you get up to at your barbecues, and whats your favourite party dishes? Check out my blog the big dipper for some more party gadgets. Why not have a look at some of my ice cream recipes in my blog dark, delcious chocolate icecream and homemade icecream in a flash plus many more too.

What fun! fields and fields of various bushes, plants and trees, me and my neice Rosie with a bucket to hand and were off. How many fruits are going to make it to the punnet before your mouth,  (now be honest! I know so many who have eatten more than there fair share while picking, or before you are ill!).  Looking at the state of beautiful Rosie, my sister is going to kill me, when she sees the colour of her beautiful little dress, now stained with berry juice where she has duely wiped her hands down it, bless!

A trip to a local pick your own farm is a great way for you to discover newly harvested fruits, picked at there peak, fresh and usually cheaper than the shops and markets. Plus its a great day out for the kids too.

Presently you can pick not only the last of the strawberries but raspberries, currants, cherries and  gooseberries throughout both June and July, with further fruits and berries to be available from september for picking.

These soft summer fruits are at their best when freshly picked, so packaging and storage of your freshly picked fruits are very important.

There are over 400 PYO (pick your own) farms through out the UK so theres sure to be one near you, check your local press and plan your visit. Some PYO Farms also have restaurants, cafe, farmshops etc too which make a great day out.

Some sound tips for picking from the Farm shop and pick your own association (FSPA) make great sense they are:

1. Pick at least half inch of stem to avoid touching and bruising your freshly picked fruit
2. Wear sensible clothes and shoes
3. Pick just enough for yourself as its very easy to get carried away
4. Punnets are usually provided but you may wish to take your own containers too.
5. Fruits nearest the entrance get picked first so stroll to the far side of the field.
6. Pick strawberries and raspberries last as these are the most fragile
7. Make sure to put your fruit in a cool place as soon as possible after picking.

For a great Raspberry Fool with your freshly picked produce, you will need: 350g raspberries, 75g icing sugar, 2 tblsp port, 450g fromage frais and extra fruit or cream to decorate (can use chocolate shavings too)

Wash and dry your raspberries and place in your food processor. Puree until smooth and pass through a seive to remove the seeds, into a bowl. Then stir in the sugar and the port before folding in the fromage frais into your puree. Spoon into wine glasses or dessert bowls and decorate before serving. Summery, delicious and simple, what more can you ask for?

Take at look at my previous blog perfect raspberry jam for your toast and cakes, also  its very sundae (check out the great sundae glasses in this blog too), and seasonal june strawberry food events with a great cheesecake recipe!

Whats your favourite PYO fruit, have you got a recipe to share or tip? Why not tell us all about a PYO farm near you?

Its indulgent with a great nutty texture that your guest will adore! Whether you use it as a cake, dessert or pudding is entirely up to you but make sure you give it pride of place at the dining table. Its a Fabulous dessert in my eyes to impress your guest with but without taking you hours of preparation and cooking time.

Check out my previous blog Traditional Soda Bread Recipe for some great silicone baking sheets which you can use for this recipe rather than tin baking sheets.

So here we go for my fantastic Raspberry Roulade you are going to need:

350g raspberries, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 50g ground toasted hazelnuts, 2 tblsp chestnut puree ( you can use the remaining puree in soups, breads or even in stuffings with your Sunday Roast), 4 large free range eggs, 225g caster sugar, 150g pot of greek yogurt (or homemade see my previous blog yogurt recipe depends on milk used), and 2 tsp icing sugard to dust with.

Firstly preheat the oven to 180 c/ gas 4 and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Whisk your egg whites for 4 minutes until it forms firm peaks. Add the sugar and whisk again until stiff. Mix the chestnut puree with the ground hazelnuts and mixed spice to form a paste and fold this into your meringue mixture. Spread your meringue mixture on to the baking sheet to form a large rectangle and cook for 25 minutes. Leave this to cool. Meanwhile puree 150g of your raspberries in a blender and ass sweetner to taste and pour into a serving jug. Then crush the remaining raspberries into the yogurt. Dust a clean surface with icing sugar and place meringue topside down on to the dusted icing sugar and spread your meringue with your raspberry cream before rolling up. Placing your meringue roulade on a serving plate scatter with remaining raspberries and serve with your raspberry coulis you prepared earlier in a jug.

Have you got a favourite dessert recipe you would like to share with us?

Well to cheer us all up and take our minds off the ever increasing petrol pump prices again, June is the season to eat like the Gods! The first of the British Fruits is reaching our shops. Lucious Strawberries with that unbeatable British flavour, Asparagus as in my previous blog  quick and easy Asparagus recipes can still be found. With the first crop of new potatoes, peas and broad beans and of course salad crops too. I have started picking mine straight from out the garden you cannot beat that fresh from the garden taste & of course, the great cost - as its FREE. 

Its best to eat in season, as seasonal produce is fresher and higher in nutrients, with less food miles and its kinder on your purse strings too. So just take a look at whats about as great seasonal foods for June to enjoy are:

Fruit: blackberries (early), cherries, elderflowers, gooseberries, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb (outdoor), strawberries, tayberries. Imported figs.Vegetables: asparagus, baby carrots, broad beans, broccoli, chervil, chives, courgettes and flowers, cucumbers, fennel, globe artichokes, green beans, horseradish, lettuce, mangetout, new potatoes, peas, peppers, radishes, rocket and other salad leaves, samphire, spinach, sorrel, spring onions, tomatoes, watercress. Imported aubergines.Fish & shellfish: black bream, brown and rainbow trout, brown shrimp, cuttlefish, first fresh kippers (run until Oct), grey mullet, haddock, hake, john dory, lobster, pollack, prawns, sardines, sea bass, sea trout, signal crayfish, spider crab, whitebait, wild salmon. Don’t bother with oysters, mackerel, mussels, scallops and flatfish - they’re all spawning. Meat: hogget lamb, Welsh lamb.

So with the start of wimbledon days away now and great racing at Ascot lets find you a tantalising dish to serve made with the one and only strawberry. Strawberries are low in fat and calories and strawberries are naturally high in fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and antioxidants.

With fathers day upon us here is one of my dads own favourites, a yummy Strawberry Fudge Cheesecake:

You will need:75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing, 250g HobNobs biscuits (or homemade oat biscuits), 250g strawberry or vanilla fudge, 300g mascarpone, 400ml double cream, softly whipped, 250g British Local strawberries, quartered and 2 tsp icing sugar to decorate.

Start by lightly buttering a 23cm springform cake tin. Pulse the biscuits to crumbs in your food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined and clumped together. Tip into the base of the tin and press down evenly, then chill. Put 200g of the fudge in a large bowl and melt in a microwave for 1 minute on High, until it forms a soft paste (or alternatively you could melt in a pan over a very low heat). Cool slightly, then beat in the mascarpone in a bowl with a wooden spoon, until soft, add to the melted fudge and mix until all combined and then gently fold in the whipped cream. Chop the remaining fudge into small chunks and stir into the filling. Spoon this over the chilled biscuit base, smoothing the top. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight – the fudge will set the cheesecake. Put your strawberries in a bowl and toss with the icing sugar. Set aside to macerate for 20 minutes. Once the cheesecake is set, run a knife all around to loosen and remove the springform collar. Slide onto a serving plate and spoon over the strawberries to serve. If your feeling really indulgant serve with champagne or a good chilled sparkling wine for something just that bit special.

This is a great recipe to do and take with you to one of these great outdoor concert events up and down the country, no matter what the weather we British can always enjoy good food and a party!!!

Why not tell me about your favourite strawberry recipe? Also check out other food processor recipes like on my previous blog chocolate profiteroles with chantilly cream made with your mixer.

I developed this great finale to any dinner party over the years. If your in our house no meal is complete without some form of dessert, even if we are heading for the cheese & fruit platter. Sweet Toothes hey! we all know one and my house is no exception.

So I developed a twist on a great british traditional pudding to give not only fabulous flavours, enough sweetness to melt the heart of even the sweetest of toothes amoungst us; but also packed with a good source of vitamins A, B C E, iron, calcium, selenium & zinc, too good to be true I know, and there is more.

This fantastic pudding can be made in advance and kept in a fridge, so no last minute panic.

What am I talking about well its Luxurious, warming & colourful Fruity Bread & Butter pudding!

Your going to need: 350ml full cream milk, 300g fresh or frozen mixed fruit of your choice, 50g butter, 8 slices of wholemeal bread, 3 tablespoons of light muscovado sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract, nutmeg for grating & icing sugar to decorate. Oh and either fresh cream, greek yogurt or custard to serve with your finished pudding.

Preheat your oven to 220 c/425 f/ gas 7, heat the milk gently in a pan, do not let it boil. Grease 4 overproof ramekins. Remove the crusts from the bread and butter the slices cutting into 4 triangles. Arrange a few pieces in bottom of each dish (pointing slightly upwards) then add a spoonful of your fruit mix and a sprinkling of sugar then repeat this process until all the bread and fruit it used up ending with a layer of bread in each dish. Break your eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly, stir in the warm milk and vanilla. Whisk again and carefully pour over the custard mix evenly into each pudding dish. Grate a little nutmeg over each of the puddings and place them on a baking tray before baking for 15 minutes or until set and golden brown. To serve sift icing sugar over the tops and serve with cream, yogurt or custard of your choice.

 I think this funky Le Creuset Stoneware Heart Shaped Ramekin Gift sets are great they look superb and make a pudding special, so surprise your guest by serving your desserts in something extra special like them ! ahhhhh!

 They are stylish tableware for both entertaining and everyday use, coming in their fabulous     Espresso Exterior finish, they offer the perfect presentation for individual desserts. Suitable for use in the Freezer, Dishwasher, Oven,Grill and Microwave and each ramekin holds 0.3l and is 11cm in diameter.

Whats your dinner party finale! (& keep it clean please!)