On a roll

Chef's CV: Brought up in the states, Adriana loved making cookies and brownies. Following a career in design and marketing she trained at Leith's School of Food and Wine and set up her own catering business, launching the Little Red Barn brand in 1996 selling cookies, brownies and muffins.

Presentation: It's a quirky book, with kitschy snaps of kids and scrap-book pictures of hearts, clouds and stars dancing across the recipe pages.

Ingredients: If you like your cake, this is the way to eat it. Every which way. Take your pick from muffins and scones, quick breads, pies and strudels and brownies, cookies. There are also sections of cakes and frostings and canaps and light snacks.

Recipe chosen: Banana strudel

Ready, steady, cook: Adriana boasted she cooked this one up as an impromptu dessert for some surprise guests, so could I do the same? Well yes. It is so easy. Of course, you have to have the filo pastry ready and if yours is in the freezer you'll need to add on time for it to defrost (check your pack for instructions). I omitted the rum but added everything else. It took minutes before it was ready to go in the oven and 15 minutes later I was serving it to my guests.

Taste test: Delicious! Better than the apple variety in my book. If you like banana fritters, you'll love this. The hot banana is really gooey and sweet and the pastry is light and crisp. I served this with good vanilla ice cream. The only problem is it's so easy and fast to make, I'll be tempted to make it again and again and again.

Verdict? A great book for cake lovers or for anyone who likes to make treats for the family.

HHHH

Recipe

Banana strudel

ADRIANA writes: This banana strudel recipe came from an impromptu evening, when I literally made the dessert as my guests were chatting away in the garden. Be sure to use a ripe but firm banana.

Ingredients:

50g sultanas

2 tbsp rum

1 medium banana, sliced

1 tbsp light soft brown sugar

tsp grated nutmeg

Pinch of salt

75g unsalted butter, melted

4 sheets of filo pastry

20g lightly toasted breadcrumbs

Caster sugar, for sprinkling

Method:

u Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/gas 6

u Soak the sultanas in the rum in a bowl for a few minutes.

u Add the sliced banana, brown sugar, nutmeg, salt and 1 tbsp of the melted butter. Set aside.

u Stack and trim the sheets of filo pastry to a 38 x 30cm rectangle. Peel off one sheet and brush with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top and brush with butter. Repeat with the remaining two sheets, brushing each sheet with butter.

u Spread the fruit filling over the top layer of pastry, leaving a clear 2.5cm border along all the edges.

u Sprinkle the filling with the toasted breadcrumbs. Roll up the pastry like a Swiss roll, starting from one long side. Seal all the edges, brushing them with butter to hold them in place, and tucking the side edges under.

u Place the roll seam-side down on a baking tray and brush with the last of the butter. Sprinkle with caster sugar.

u Bake for ten to 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Serve warm.

Serves 4-6