As we enter into the summer months we can begin to look forward to all the delicious food that the season brings! Planning garden parties and family barbeques has never been more exciting, but what we’re really looking forward to are the puddings! We’ve taken inspiration from our friends over at Macmillan Cancer and are sharing a few of our favourite dessert recipes from their delicious selection. Take a look below and head over to macmillan.org.uk for more recipe ideas.

GREEK HONEY CHEESECAKE WITH APRICOT COMPOTE

• ✽ 8 digestive biscuits
• ✽ Butter for the base (28g/1oz)
• ✽ Curd cheese (225g/8oz)
• ✽ Runny honey (55g/2oz)
• ✽ Caster sugar (55g/2oz)
• ✽ 2 eggs
• ✽ Dried ‘no soak’ apricots (1 5g/4oz), chopped
• ✽ Butter for the compote (28g/1oz)
• ✽ Honey (1tbsp)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.

2. Place the digestive biscuits in a clean plastic bag and crush into fine crumbs using a rolling pin.

3. Melt 28g/1oz butter in a saucepan and then mix in the biscuit crumbs.

4. Use the mixture to cover the bottoms of individual ramekin dishes or one round ovenproof dish 5cm/2 inches deep.

5. Soften the cheese in a saucepan. Warm two tablespoons of runny honey in a small saucepan or in the microwave, and mix into the cheese.

6. Add the sugar and egg yolk, and beat well.

7. Whisk two egg whites until they form soft peaks (standing up, but not completely stiff and with edges that curl over). Then fold these into the mixture.

8. Pour the mixture over the top of the biscuit base and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until the top of the mixture has set. Leave to cool.

9. Melt 28g/1oz butter. Add the chopped apricots and then the honey. Cook together for a few minutes over a low heat and then spoon on top of the cheesecake. Cool before serving.

With thanks to Juliet Wilson for contributing this recipe.

Nutritional information: Energy 492.1kcal; Protein 13.4g; Total fat 22.2g (of which saturates 9.6g); Carbohydrate 62.7g; Fibre 3.3g.

SUMMER PUDDING

• ✽ Mixed fruits – blackberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants (900g/2lbs in total)
• ✽ Caster sugar (1 5g/4oz)
• ✽ 1 cinnamon stick
• ✽ Juice of 1 lemon
• ✽ Bread (about 450g/1lb), one day out of date, sliced and with crusts removed

• ✽ Clotted cream

Method

1. Wash the fruit and place in a saucepan.

2. Add the sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon stick.

3. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for five minutes.

4. Strain off the fruit (a colander works well) and put the fruit to one side.

5. Return to the heat and simmer to reduce the juice by half. Leave to cool.

6. Use the slices of bread to line the base and sides of a pudding basin or pie dish, first dipping them into the juice. Overlap the slices a little so there are no gaps.

7. Cover the base with a layer of fruit, then a layer of dipped bread. Repeat until the basin or dish is full, ending with a layer of bread.

8. Put a piece of greaseproof paper on top, and weigh it down lightly.

9. Refrigerate overnight. Turn out and serve with clotted cream and a pool of juice.

Nutritional information (without clotted cream): Energy 429.2kcal; Protein 11.6g; Total fat 2.4g (of which saturates 0.4g); Carbohydrate 93g; Fibre 10.7g.

Nutritional information: Energy 492.1kcal; Protein 13.4g; Total fat 22.2g (of which saturates 9.6g); Carbohydrate 62.7g; Fibre 3.3g.

BROWN SUGAR PLUMS WITH SOURED CREAM

• ✽ 8 plums, halved and stonedLight brown muscovado sugar (2 tbsp)
• ✽ Ground cinnamon (½ tsp)
• ✽ Soured cream (300ml/10floz)
• ✽ Demerara sugar (2 tbsp)

• ✽ Shortbread biscuits

Method

1. Heat oven to 220˚C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.

2. Arrange the plums in the base of an ovenproof dish to make a tight-fitting single layer. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the plums.

3. Bake for 20–25 minutes until tender and golden.

4. Spoon the soured cream over the top and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. For a crunchier sugar topping, you could place the dish under a hot grill until the sugar melts. Serve with shortbread biscuits.

Nutritional information: Energy 234kcal; Protein 1.6g; Total fat 15g (of which saturates 9g); Carbohydrate 21g; Fibre 1g.