CHERRY DELIGHT

This simple treat was created by my friend Sarah Giles, who is a cook-gardener based in Sussex and the successful blogger behind ‘A Cook’s Plot’. You can also make this with fresh raspberries, in which case you do not need to cook them, simply sprinkle them with a little liqueur and a spoonful of sugar.

1. Take 2 glass dishes, each about 250–300ml capacity.

2. Put the cherries, liqueur and sugar in a small pan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, till the cherries are soft and syrupy. Add the lemon, then taste; cherries vary, so add a little sugar if necessary. Let cool briefly, then tip into the base of the serving dishes. Allow to cool.

3. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to soft peaks, pile into the dishes and top with the cold cherries. Refrigerate till ready to eat.

FOR THE CHERRY LAYER about 180g fresh cherries, pitted

1 tbsp almond liqueur (such as Amaretto Disaronno), or other spirit of your choice

2 tsp sugar, plus a little extra if necessary a squeeze of lemon juice

FOR THE CREAM LAYER

120ml double cream

2 tsp caster sugar, or icing sugar

1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE COOKIE LAYER

1–2 good chocolate cookies, or chocolate-chip cookies, roughly crumbled

4. Just before serving, sprinkle with the crumbled chocolate cookies.

Recipes taken from Two’s Company Simple by Orlando Murrin, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£20). Photography by Clare Winfield. © Ryland Peters & Small.