Everyone seems to have a pet vine in their garden or on their balcony these days, but, if you haven’t, it’s almost worth nipping down to the garden centre to get one especially for making these. You might even end up with a grape crop too. If you use the brine-preserved vine leaves sold in delis, they won’t have quite the same aromatic freshness, but you will produce better dolmades than anything ready-made – and once you’ve stuffed and wrapped the first few few you’ll find y

You can make this with lemon instead, but lime, with its spicy note, is sensational. It’s very intense in flavour, so will overpower a milder ice cream and fight with some others, such as coffee. I like it plain, just with some shortbread and each serving decorated with a mint leaf. As with the mango, it’s a recipe - slightly adjusted - from Stephanie Alexander’s book. You will need an electric mixer of some sort. Serves 6 500g whipping cream 80ml fresh lime juice (about 3 li

Why aren’t we all eating syllabub? It’s a breeze to make and delicious. This one, based on Elizabeth David’s classic Everlasting Syllabub, doesn’t separate, so can be made in advance, and it doesn’t demand a whole bottle of wine. In fact, it doesn’t demand any and you can swap the sherry for dry white vermouth and the brandy for Grand Marnier or Cointreau. But whatever alcohol you use it must be drinkable, because, uncooked, the flavours come through loud and clear. Serves 6-

I don't know why more people don't make lemon curd. It's much easier than marmalade or jam and bears no discernible relation to the day-glo gooey bought stuff. Stir it into yoghurt or spread it on toast, waffles or whatever at breakfast, and use it in tarts with sweetened mascarpone or meringue on top and/or ground almonds underneath. If you have a sweet tooth, you can use more sugar (add up to 50g). You can also make the taste richer and softer by adding an extra egg yolk, b

These light, moist almond cakes, also known as financiers, are French in origin, but they’ve been taken up by the Australians and you’re now more likely to find them being drunk with a macchiato in fashionable cafés in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. I prefer to make small friands in mini muffin tins, but you can make larger ones – and I hardly need tell ice cream and mayonnaise-makers that these are a brilliant way of using up all those leftover egg whites in the freezer. Makes