Smash hits: Bill Granger's strawberries-and-cream-based dessert extravaganzas Ah, British summertime. It might not be the most predictable of seasons but, call me old-fashioned, I'm more used to brutally hot Australian summers so I'm still hanging on to the romantic idea of gentle, balmy days, listening to the thwack of tennis balls and the hum of bees: the kind of weather that calls for a genteel afternoon tea in the garden with a glass of something sparkling, cucumber sandwiches and, of course, strawberries and cream in one form or another. The following sweets are so quintessentially summery they might even encourage the sun to make a proper appearance. Pistachio and white-chocolate pavlovas These are dainty versions of Australia's favourite pudding. You can, of course, cheat and use shop-bought meringue nests, but nothing beats the real thing. Serves 6 3 large egg whites, the fresher the better 150g/5oz caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra 1 tsp cornflour 1 tsp white-wine vinegar 150g/5oz white chocolate, roughly chopped 75g/3oz pistachios, roughly chopped 300g/10oz strawberries, cleaned and chopped 200ml/7fl oz double cream 100ml/3fl oz crème fraîche Preheat oven to 160C/325F/Gas3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and whisk to soft, shiny peaks - ensure the whites don't go grainy. Gradually add the 150g of sugar in heaped tablespoons, whisking well after each addition to make sure all of the sugar is fully incorporated. Mix the cornflour with the vinegar then add to the whites. Continue to whisk until the whites are really stiff, very shiny and stand up in peaks when you lift your beaters out. Use a large metal spoon to gently fold in two-thirds of the white chocolate and most of the pistachio nuts. Spoon six saucer-sized dollops on to the parchment paper and use a spoon to make a dip in the centre of each. Reduce the oven temperature to 140C/275F/Gas1. Cook the meringue for 45 minutes. Switch off the oven, open the door slightly then allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven. Mash the strawberries with a fork until they are juicy and broken down. Whip the cream and the extra two tablespoons of sugar to soft floppy peaks, fold in the crème fraîche then swirl through the strawberries. To serve, pile the strawberry-cream mix on to the pavlovas and scatter with the remaining white chocolate and chopped pistachios. Strawberry and amaretti tart The easiest of the three recipes here, this is just a simple assemblage of ingredients, with a little taste of Italy, that requires zero cooking. Serves 6-8 150g/5oz amaretti biscuits 150g/5oz digestive biscuits 175g/6oz butter, melted 250g/8oz mascarpone 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra to dust Zest and juice of 1 lemon 300ml/pint double cream 5 tbsp lemon curd 400g/13oz strawberries, cleaned and chopped Whizz the biscuits into crumbs in a food processor or, if you don't have a processor, put into a large sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs and melted butter in a bowl and stir to coat all the crumbs. Tip into a 22cm, loose-bottomed tart tin, press into the base and up the sides in an even layer. Chill for at least 2 hours or until the shell has set. Remove from the tin and lift on to a serving plate. To make the filling, beat the mascarpone with icing sugar and the lemon zest and juice until soft. Add the double cream and continue to beat to soft peaks. Gently fold through the lemon curd and most of the strawberries. Pile the filling into the tart shell and top with the remaining strawberries and a drizzle of extra lemon curd if you like. Lightly dust with more icing sugar. Strawberry mille-feuille What did we do before ready-made puff pastry existed? The trick to make it nice and crisp is to cook it between two hot baking trays. Icing sugar, to dust, plus 1 tbsp extra 375g/12oz pack ready-rolled puff pastry 300ml/ pint double cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 tbsp good-quality strawberry conserve 200g/7oz strawberries, sliced Dust the work surface with icing sugar then roll out the pastry to cm thick. Line a baking sheet with baking paper, dust with more icing sugar then lay the pastry on top and dust again. Cover with another piece of baking paper then lay a second baking sheet on top and weigh down with an ovenproof dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Whip the cream, vanilla and extra tablespoon of icing sugar to soft peaks, or until it just holds its shape. Cut the pastry into three equal-sized rectangles. Spread the first piece of pastry with half the cream, dollop over half the jam then dot with half the strawberries. Put a second sheet of pastry on top and spread with the remaining cream, jam and strawberries. Finish with a final layer of pastry and dust with icing sugar before serving.