When the weather is hot and we’re on holiday, the key to the family cook enjoying him or herself along with the rest of the relaxed gang is the old K.I.S.S. principal – keeping things simple.

There’s such a variety of wonderful, juice and luscious fresh fruit available that, really, you don’t need to go past fruit for healthy, light and delicious desserts and you can pretty well forget cooking…there’s even a No Cook Chocolate Christmas Pudding!

Did you know that the word “dessert” comes from a French word, “desservir”, meaning “to remove the dishes” or “clear the table”? Originally, fruit and sweetmeats were placed on the table or served separately, following the meal. Mrs Beeton, in 1861, made a wonderful fuss about desserts of fresh fruit, cakes, candied fruit and other tasty morsels, all elaborately served and, it seems, designed to impress.

In France, in the first half of the 18^th century, desserts were sumptuous affairs, often built up in to pyramids or put in to set pieces in a formality rarely seen now, although still in Provence in Southern France, a Christmas Eve meal finishes with the presentation of “les treize deserts” – the 13 desserts – based on local fruits, nuts, baking and confectionary. The 13 items are said to represent Christ and the 12 apostles. Read Alan Davidson’s The OxfordCompanion to Food” for more information.

Some of my favourite summer desserts include Berries in Red Wine and Vanilla, Boysenberry Syllabub, Cardamom Snaps with Fresh Strawberries and Cream, Christmas Raspberry Stack, Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Trifle, Nougat Xmas Ice Cream, Summer Ice Cream Bombe or old favourite, Summer Pudding.

The kids will have fun making – and eating - Crunchy Bar Ice Cream and they’ll enjoy Lemon Yoghurt Mousse. Great to serve with any fruit is Real Vanilla Ice Cream.

Or, to make things even easier and just as delicious, serve fresh fruit with a selection of cheeses and/or yoghurt.