There are two ways of making this attractive dessert, the lazy way and the classic way. The latter means you will have to stand over the oven waiting to mould the baskets the moment the ginger biscuit base has cooked. The first calls for no more than opening the box. During these very hot days I am sure most of us will cheat a little, buy the baskets ready-made and put any energy we have into hulling the strawberries and whipping up the cream. Either way, this is a very attractive pudding and so easy to put together once you have the baskets. But do remember not to add the filling until you are ready to eat, as the basket deteriorates rapidly once exposed to moist cream.

YOU WILL NEED: 4 oz (100g) butter 4oz (100g) caster sugar 4oz (100g) golden syrup 4oz (100g) plain flour One level tsp ground ginger.

For the filling: Half pint (300ml) of double cream Generous amount of strawberries.

METHOD: Turn the oven to 180C/350F or gas mark 4.

Put the sugar, butter and golden syrup into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has dissolved and remove at once.

Place the ginger and flour into large bowl, then beat in the warm mix of butter, syrup and sugar.

Leave to cool.

When cool, roll the mixture into balls about the size of a walnut and place on greased baking trays, taking care to space them out as they will spread when they heat up.

Bake for about seven minutes, or until golden brown with a perforated texture.

Leave on the tray for a moment, so that they cool slightly (but not too much) then remove one by one and place them over a cup to form a basket shape, if you haven't a special mould.

If those on the tray begin to cool before you get round to shaping them, just place the tray back into the oven for a moment or two to warm. You may have to cook several batches to use all the paste up.

For the filling, which must not be added until the last moment, whip the cream and stir in as many chopped strawberries as needed to produce a tasty strawberry cream.

Decorate the finished baskets with fanned strawberries.