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.

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