Sunny skies and warmer days always have me craving the frivolous world of garden tea parties.  I suddenly get the urge to invite friends over for an afternoon of good food and conversation in my private little outdoor paradise. Bring on the thin finger sandwiches, classic quiches, pretty pots of herbal teas and chilled wines!  And of course, let's not forget the delicate baked sweets to round off this jovial affair!

No need to make things complicated though.  These three mouthwatering recipes are a breeze to make yet beautiful enough to earn you plenty of compliments.  An added bonus is that two of them can be made ahead of time and then frozen.  That way you'll have plenty of time to play around with the finer details such as deciding on what type of tableware you'll want to use, the choice of drinks to offer and the selection of music.

Quatre quarts with red berries and lavender
Serves 8-10
(Can be made ahead of time and frozen.)

To me, red berries and lavender are synonymous with sunshine and warmth.  That's why I couldn't think of a more seasonal way to dress up a simple quatre quarts (French pound cake) than with these two fabulous ingredients.

Don't forget to throw open your windows when you make this buttery, berry-speckled loaf.  After all, it wouldn't be fair to keep others from enjoying the sweet aromas that will emerge from your kitchen as it happily bakes in the oven!

• 120 g mixed dried red berries (your choice)
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 -- 1 ½ tbsp dried lavender (suitable for cooking)
• 225 g soft butter
• 225 g caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs

Soak the red fruits in hot water for approximately 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Preheat your oven to 165C. Line a 28 cm rectangular cake pan with baking paper.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the baking powder and the lavender, and stir thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them little by little to the butter and sugar mixture while continuing to beat.

Fold in the dry ingredients and the red fruits in two batches, stirring thoroughly after each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about an hour and 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Classic madeleines
Makes approximately 2 dozen madeleines
(Can be made ahead of time and frozen.)

“She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines', which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell....... An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses...”

That's how Marcel Proust described these delectable shell-shaped beauties.  What he failed to mention was how incredibly addictive they are.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that most of my madeleines don't survive their ‘cooling’ stage once they leave the oven.  Fair is fair -- don't say you haven't been warned.

• 175 g butter, melted and cooled
• 245 g all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp ground almonds

Grease the madeleine tray with butter and dust with flour.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. I usually do this in my Kitchen Aid mixer but a handheld mixer should work just fine.
Add the vanilla extract to the cooled butter.
Fold the flour through the eggs and sugar, then fold in the butter and vanilla and finally the ground almonds. 
Fill the madeleine shells ¾ full and pop in fridge for about an hour. 
Preheat your oven to 190C and bake the madeleines for about 8-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tiny cakes spring back when gently pressed in the center. 
Cool (if you have the willpower to do so) on a wire rack before serving.

Tarte aux fraises
Serves 6-8

This is definitely the type of pie that instantly lifts my spirits.  Perhaps it's because I associate it with carefree summer vacations spent in my beloved France or maybe it's the shiny, bright red jam-glazed strawberries that do it for me. All I know is that no garden tea party would be complete without this ‘culivisual’ masterpiece. Don't let its beauty fool you though.  This pie is child's play to make!

Note:  The recipe is adapted from Onno Kleyn's 'Tarte aux framboises’ as featured in his inspiring book Heimwee naar la douce France.

For the pastry shell:

• 1 egg
• pinch of salt
• 125 g caster sugar
• 125 g cold butter
• 250 g flour, sifted

For the crème anglaise:

• 100 ml milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp vanilla sugar
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp flour

Topping:

• 500 g strawberries, halved
• 1 -- 2 tbsp strawberry jelly

Put all the ingredients for the dough in the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. You might need to add a drop or two of cold water. Chill the dough for about an hour.

Bring the milk to the boil. Make the crème by beating the egg with the sugar and salt until thick and creamy. Add the milk little by little while beating. Add the flour and continue to beat. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and cook until thickened, and then for another minute or so. Cover with a little cling film to prevent a skin from forming and set aside.

Roll out the pastry and lay it over a 28cm tart pan. Blind bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and remove pastry shell from pan.

Spread the crème over the cooled shell and cover with the strawberries.

Heat the jelly until it glistens. Brush over the strawberries and marvel at your brilliant creation!

Tips and tricks:

• You can purchase your culinary lavender at Erica Kruiderijen.  For shops, please visit their website.
• Ground almonds are available at most Dutch health food stores (natuurwinkels).
• Make sure your madeleine tray is well buttered and floured, and that the dough is chilled before it goes in the oven.  And please, don't even think about using a silicone baking tray to make these little cakes.  Some things are much better done the old-fashioned way!
• Use a tart pan with a removable bottom (even if just for the sake of prettiness) when making your tarte aux fraises.  You can find great ones at the HEMA
• Not all ovens are created equal!  Make sure the oven rack is positioned in the center of your oven and always check your bakes before the end of the indicated cooking time.
• Remember, good products can make or break simple recipes such as the ones featured here.  I always recommend the use of organic butter, eggs and milk as they can really make a difference in taste.
• Want to know more about good food and baking?  Interested in a personal cooking lesson (complete with a good glass of wine) or a culinary walk through the heart of Amsterdam?  Visit me at Mijn Zoete Leven for further information.

Besides being a food writer and offering personal cooking lessons in her home, Paola also conducts culinary tours through the lively city of Amsterdam. During these one-of-a-kind excursions, participants get a chance to visit some of the city's most 'delicious' addresses. At the end of the tour, Paola guides participants through one of her favourite markets-the Noordermarkt-the first organic market in The Netherlands. For more information, visit  Mijn Zoete Leven,

Photos by Paola Duque-Westbeek.