Making this traditional Eastern European Easter bread will take the best part of a day - but before clicking away bear in mind much of that is spent on the repeated risings so you can get on with other things as that happens. All the time invested is well worth it for the resulting sweet, impressively tall, brioche-like bread.

Paska is not so much a dessert, maybe more of a snack or a breakfast / lunch treat on Easter Sunday. Try with stewed apples, jam, ice-cream., or - for extra Easter-ness - with chocolate spread.

A perfect no-hassle dessert for a hot summer’s day. Seasonal fruit is baked with sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry and the fragrance of lavender or rosemary to become deeply and muskily flavoured. This is delicious simply served with with pouring or whipped cream.

Paska is not so much a dessert, maybe more of a snack or a breakfast / lunch treat on Easter Sunday. Try with stewed apples, jam, ice-cream., or - for extra Easter-ness - with chocolate spread.

These light madeleines are intense with sweet muskiness from the lavender honey. Serve with the heat of the oven still there - and a sprig of two of edible lavender to decorate if you have some. 

This ice-cream is made without a rich egg-custard base to really let the flavours of the plums come through. Use a mix of plum varieties if you can for a balance of flavours but if you want the lovely pink colour of the end result make sure to choose purple-skinned ones.

This recipe allows you to choose and use whichever of the summer stoned-fruits catch your eye. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, plum and greengages are each equally fabulous here and a mix of two or three is probably best for a nice balance of colour and flavour. 

The cocoa nib and walnut crumb is lighter than a crumble but headed in the same direction. (It is also gluten -free.)

These wonderfully buttery sable biscuits are decadently served with a small pot of rich chocolate to dip them into.

The best apricots to use for this are the ones on the verge of ripeness. They will be able to keep their shape in the poaching; and tenderise into deep flavour with the white sangria or wine, pepper and honey in the pan. The lightness of the poached apricots is then indulgently finished with sweetened cream, reduced poaching syrup, and a grating of chocolate. 

Quinces are cooked with honey and a little ginger in a modern interpretation of a very old way of preserving the fruit. It is lovely with scones, on porridge, or on top of these light, fluffy pikelet ‘pancakes’ for breakfast or an afternoon snack. 

When an ingredient list is as brief as this one there is nowhere for poor quality ingredients to hide. Get the best walnuts you can as they won’t have the bitterness that tends to come with older, cheaper ones. With the balsamic, avoid anything that lists in its ingredients caramel or colouring. 

Once you’re all set with the ingredients this is a very quick and simple way to use balsamic vinegar to transform conventional sweet, toasted nuts into something with much more depth. Try them crumbled over desserts; or chop into savoury dishes such as braised red cabbage to give a sweet edge. I also like to sprinkle salt flakes over the nuts as they cool to then have them alongside a whiskey cocktail.

This quick, indulgent, summery dessert is a take on the classic ‘Knights of Windsor’. The almond liqueur soaked brioche goes perfectly with the cherries.