Strawberry sensations

You’ll need an 80g packet of pistachios. Note

Many strawberry farms around the country now offer fresh fruit ice creams at the farm gate. My kids shriek and demand a detour whenever they see a painted strawberry sign on a hot summer road trip. Please note: this recipe makes a two-tiered cake; to construct the four-tiered cake pictured here, double all the quantities (except for topping) and first make sure it will fit in the freezer. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

These sparkly chocolate-wrapped berries are the ritzy cousins of the chocolate-dipped ones. They are the perfect uptown companion to flutes of sparkling Champagne or pile them high on special cakes for a regal look. Gold and silver sparkling sugar is available online from cake-decorating stores (I got mine from cakestuff.co.nz). Photographs by Jani Shepherd, styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

Jani and I spend hours on our photoshoots and inevitably share childhood food stories as memories are triggered by different ingredients. One recent discovery is our shared love of Strawberry Toppa ice blocks – that delicious Kiwi invention of the 1950s. The rather rustic icy treats on these pages are our version of the sublime relationship between strawberries and cream – with a cheeky, grown-up twist. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

Why enjoy one French classic for breakfast when you can combine two? These french toast croissants are filled with fresh slices of strawberry and strawberry jam for a fruity, oozing centre.

Refreshing raspberry, yoghurt and strawberry terrine with a sweet berry and fresh mint salad – a show-stopping dessert for your next dinner party!

Punnets of deep red strawberries stacked high and deep outside fruit shops and dairies epitomise the Kiwi summer. But by the tail end of the strawberry season, as the fruit quality wanes, I’m left looking for ways to keep this less flavoursome berry exciting. Here’s my new trick: a short session in a hot oven and strawberries morph into fragrant domes bursting with flavour. These roasted berries are sublime over ice cream but even better topping a flaky pastry base smeared with zesty cannoli cream. End-of-berry-season blues sorted. Photographs by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues; Gatherum Collectif.

This irresistably decadent vanilla and hazelnut strawberry galette is easy to prepare and simply divine – the perfect sweet treat for your next brunch or morning tea!

To make a piping bag, spoon melted chocolate into a mini snap-lock bag. Snip off the corner and squeeze gently. For a variation, dip strawberries into sprinkles or crushed nuts after dipping into chocolate. Melt chocolate in the microwave on Medium (50%) power in a microwave-safe bowl, in 30 second bursts, stirring after each burst, […]

The combination of sweet, light sponge cake with a creamy white chocolate and strawberry filling is utterly irresistible. Cut yourself a slice and enjoy with a pot of tea for morning or afternoon tea.

This gorgeous strawberry halva mousse is naturally sweet and fluffy, combining juicy strawberries and nutty tahini to create a perfect healthy dessert or mid-morning snack.