My mum has been making this meringue roulade for as long as I can remember, it's a much loved dessert during the Spring and Summer months and perfect for entertaining a crowd. It looks impressive and tricky but is actually quite simple. A bit of practice does go in to perfecting the rolling technique. For this recipe I've included the lemon curd from a previous post, available on my feed, and it adds a lovely tart flavour to cut through the sweetness of the meringue.

While visually appealing, this poached pear dessert is also absolutely delicious. The ginger, chocolate, wine and nuts all play together fantastically. Bosc and Conference pears are a good choice for poaching, and you should use a dry and drinkable red wine that isn’t overly fruit forward.

This lemon curd is one of the best versions that I have ever come across, having tested a good few over the past few years. It was taught to me by my mother and to her by some very close friends many years ago. It is very simple and easy to make, with a sweet and tart flavour, and can be utilised in a number of interesting and exciting desserts. It is also great served very simply on bread, scones or buns or with porridge or yogurt. It’s also a good ingredient in a roulade.

These Black Pepper Parmesan Sablés are the perfect treat on a summer’s evening, washed down with a glass of port, sherry, vermouth, or a dessert wine. They are rich and crumbly, while retaining a good snap, and are surprisingly filling. The best thing is that they are incredibly easy to make - just throw everything in a food processor.

A wonderful autumn or winter treat, these fritters don’t take long to whip together. Any apples will do, but I much prefer tart green or cooking apples. The sparkling cider adds a wonderful light and tangy edge while the green cardamom pairs wonderfully and adds some much needed underlying warmth. They can be glazed or simply dusted in sugar.

Barmbrack, Irish tea brack or in Gaelic, bairín breac (meaning speckled loaf) is a traditional sweetened bread commonly made around the Halloween season in Ireland. Many of the older traditional recipes use yeast, and are lighter in colour and texture than the bracks most people come across today. For this recipe I referenced many different sources, including my mother’s copy of All In The Cooking, first published in 1946 and famous Irish flour makers Odlums well established directions.

April 25 is Anzac Day, officially named in 1916 to commemorate an intense battle fought by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War 1. These oaty, chewy and crunchy biscuits were sent to the soldiers, and became famous due to their long shelf life.

I always get excited when I finally see the first bunches of rhubarb nestled amongst the other products at my local market. It signifies to me that Spring is here. Rhubarb crumble is my idea of comfort food, and I wanted to translate it into a slice that could be enjoyed with tea or coffee on the go.

A staple of Irish households for generations, this is the soda bread that I grew up eating, as my grandmother was an expert at baking “a scone”. I could always spot one beneath a checkered dishcloth, and would take great pleasure in eating some with butter and golden syrup.

A fresh summer treat, nectarines are one of my favourite stone fruits. This dessert has the elements of a refreshing mint julep, with the citrus fruit bringing a nice balance to the sweetness of the sugar.

Like many other people, I turned to banana bread for comfort when things got tough. This one was the result of my trial and error over a period of months. And it’s good. The best I could come up with in fact.