Hermine says: “I love incorporating herbs in my sweet treats as they can be a great way to enhance the flavours of other ingredients. Basil pairs beautifully with strawberries, and adding lime makes this a great summer dessert you’ll be proud to serve. It’s quick to put together, too. You can add the strawberry decoration when you finish the cheesecake and the optional glaze will keep it looking fresh for a while. That said, because strawberries are fresh fruits, I like to add them just as I’m about to present the dessert, so those beautiful berries have maximum visual impact.” 

Prep: 30 minutes + chilling, no cooking time, serves 12

Ingredients

For the base:

• 250g/9oz oat biscuits (cookies) or digestive biscuits (graham crackers) (gf)
• 100g/3½ oz/scant ½ cup butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

For the filling:

• 1 x 397g/14oz can condensed milk 
• 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup cream cheese
• finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 50g/1¾ oz/3½ tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
• 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup double (heavy) cream

To decorate:

• 100g/3½ oz strawberries (about 4 large strawberries)
• 1 tsp apricot jam (optional)
• 1 tsp water (optional)
• a few small whole basil leaves (optional)

Method

Grease a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment.

To make the base, blitz the biscuits in a food processor (or put them in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin, or similar) until you have a sandy powder. Tip them into a bowl, add the melted butter and mix well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and press down firmly using the flat bottom of a glass. Put in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes.

For the filling, mix the condensed milk and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth. Add the lime zest and juice, and the basil and vanilla, and mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form, taking care not to overwhip or it will start to curdle. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two or three batches.

Take the biscuit base from the fridge and pour the cheesecake mixture evenly on top of it, smoothing the surface. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and return to the fridge to set for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, cut the strawberries horizontally into thin slices. Starting from the outer rim of your cake, arrange the larger slices overlapping in a ring around the edge. Make a second ring inside this with the medium-sized slices, starting where two of the first row of strawberries join. Repeat the process towards the centre, using the smaller slices for the smaller rings in the middle, until the whole top is covered.

If you want to add some shine, make a glaze by melting a teaspoon of apricot jam with a teaspoon of water in the microwave for a few seconds, then brush it over the fruit. Finish with a few basil leaves, if you like.

Hermine says: “This cookie and cream pie is so easy to make and you won’t even need an oven as there is no baking involved. When it comes to decorating your cream pie, you can make use of all those leftover Easter eggs. I like it just as it is – not overly sweet – but if you would like to add more sweetness to it, you could even crush a few of those chocolate Easter eggs in the cream mixture. If you don’t have any Easter eggs to decorate the top of your pie, you could leave it just with the piped rosettes, or add a few of the cookies and cream biscuits on top.”

Prep time: 50 minutes + chilling, no cooking, serves 12

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 450g/1lb cookies and cream biscuits (such as Oreos) (gf)
• 120g/4¼ oz/½ cup butter, melted

For the filling:

• 350g/12oz/1½ cups plus 2 tsp full-fat cream cheese
• 200g/7oz/¾ cup plus 2 tbsp hazelnut chocolate spread
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g/3½ oz/¾ cup icing (confectioner’s) sugar
• 200g/7oz/¾ cup plus 2 tbsp double (heavy) cream

For the topping:

• 150g/5½oz/ 2/3 cup hazelnut chocolate spread
• 100g/3½oz/scant ½ cup double (heavy) cream
• 10g/⅓oz/1 rounded tbsp icing (confectioner’s) sugar
• 3 cookies and cream biscuits, quartered, (gf) or 12 pieces of chocolate of your choice, to decorate

Method

Crush the cookies and cream biscuits – either in a food processor or in a freezer bag and using a rolling pin, or similar – until you have a sandy mixture. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the mixture and set it aside for later. Add the melted butter to the remaining crumbs and mix until combined.

Tip the mixture into a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed cake tin and use a tall glass to press it down firmly into the bottom and up the side of the tin. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until it sets.

Once the base has set, put the cream cheese, chocolate spread, vanilla and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and whip until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to just soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two batches. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and level the top using a spatula.

For the topping, melt the chocolate spread for 10–20 seconds in the microwave, just so it is easily spreadable but not hot. Pour the hazelnut spread on top of the cream cheese filling and spread evenly. Return to the fridge while preparing the rest of the toppings.

In a small bowl, whip the cream for the topping with the icing sugar to stiff peaks. Place in a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice. (Or improvise using a piping bag made with parchment paper, with the tip cut like a star nozzle). Pipe 12 rosettes around the edge of the cake. Top each rosette with a piece of cookies and cream biscuit, or use a square of chocolate, chocolate Easter egg of your choice or just leave plain. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon of crushed biscuits in a circle in the middle – for a neat circle, you can use a cookie cutter as a guide. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, unmould the cake onto a serving plate – using a warm damp kitchen towel to wipe the outside edge of your cake tin will help release the pie easily. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Hermine says: “When you want a no-bake dessert that comes together in less than half an hour, this is the one. You could use shop-bought lemon curd, but I’ve got a quick microwave curd recipe here for you. Save the remainder for toast or to make another pot of this delicious pudding. If you have leftover mascarpone from the tiramisu cake, use that in place of the cream cheese.”

Prep: 20 minutes, cooking time: none, Serves 2

Ingredients

• 6 digestive biscuits (graham crackers) (gf), plus 1 extra (optional) crumbled biscuit, to serve
• 30g/1oz/2 tbsp butter
• 80g/2¾ oz/⅓ cup cream cheese
• 40g/1½ oz/3¼ tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup double (heavy) cream
• 4 tbsp lemon curd (shop-bought or see below)
• 2 lemon slices, to serve (optional)

For the curd (optional):

• 40g/1½ oz/2½ tbsp butter
• 1 egg
• 70g/2½ oz/⅓ cup caster (superfine) sugar
• juice and finely grated zest of 1 large lemon

Method

If you’re making the lemon curd, first melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. In a separate bowl, whisk

the egg and sugar together until combined, then whisk in the lemon juice and zest and the melted butter.

Microwave on a medium–high power (600 watts) for 3 minutes, stirring at 1-minute intervals. Pour the curd into a small jar and set aside to cool.

To make the cheesecake, finely crush the digestive biscuits in a small freezer bag.

Melt the butter in a microwaveable bowl, then add the biscuit crumbs and mix well. Divide the crumbs between two small ramekins and press the mixture down with a spoon to give firm bases. Place the ramekins in the freezer for a few minutes to set.

In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and spoon this evenly over your biscuit bases, smoothing the surfaces.

While the lemon curd is still warm and runny, pour half of it over each cheesecake. (If it has set, just heat it in the microwave for a few seconds.) Put your dessert in the fridge to set for at least 15–30 minutes. Once set, serve as they are or decorate your cheesecakes with a few extra biscuit crumbs and a slice of lemon, if you wish. Enjoy cold.

The Thrifty Baker: Shop, Bake & Eat on a Budget by Hermine Dossou (£18.99, White Lion Publishing) is out now