Glorious summer berries sparkle in these delicious desserts by Ginny Grant.

Sweet, juicy berries are a highlight of the summer months. In most cases I’ll eat the sweeter berries straight from the punnet, but occasionally I’ll make a treat. Currants and gooseberries (rarely spotted in Auckland, but I know they are more readily available in the South Island) need a little sugar to temper their sharp acidity. Feel free to swap any of the berries for what you have although you may need to adjust the sugar slightly depending on their sweetness.

For some of these recipes I have used frozen fruit as we photograph so far in advance that it often isn’t possible to get some very early-season berries. If using frozen, I try always to buy a local product where available and the recent recall of frozen imported berries due to Hepatitis A contamination brought home to me that it is not only supporting local industry but also our high food-safety standards. All of the recipes work just as well with fresh berries; use the equivalent weight of fresh berries and follow the same method.