With temperatures staying high, it's the perfect time to get in the kitchen and cook up your favourite treats.

If you're thinking of baking for a picnic, want to cool down with a fruity drink, or need to entertain the kids now they're off school, take a look at these recipes from British Summer Fruits to give you some inspiration.

Raspberries are a popular fruit and as they're currently in season there's no better time to make these three tasty treats that are bursting with fruity flavour.

Raspberry Portuguese tarts (Serves 12)

Raspberry Portuguese tarts

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

175g (6oz) plain flour, plus a little extra flour for dusting

40g (1½oz) icing sugar

100g (4oz) butter, diced

2 egg yolks

Few drops of vanilla extract

For the filling:

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons icing sugar, plus extra sifted icing sugar to decorate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300ml (½ pint) double cream

150g (5oz) raspberries

Little icing sugar, sifted, to decorate, optional

Method:

1. To make the pastry, add the flour, icing sugar and butter to the bowl of a food processor or mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix to a soft ball.

2. Preheat the oven to 190°C, 170°C fan assisted, Gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and stamp out 9.5cm (3¾ inch) circles with a plain or fluted biscuit cutter and press into sections of 12 hole buttered muffin tin.

3. Re-roll the trimmings and continue until all sections of the muffin tin are lined. Prick the bases of the tarts with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Line each tart case with a square of non-stick baking paper and line with baking beans then bake blind for 8 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for 3-4 minutes until bases are crisp and the top edges pale golden.

5. Reduce oven temp to 170°C, 150°C fan assisted, Gas 3. To make the filling lightly whisk the eggs, egg yolks, icing sugar and vanilla together then add the cream and whisk briefly until smooth.

6. Strain the custard through a sieve into a jug. Pour into the baked tart cases then add 3 raspberries to each. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the custard is just set then leave to cool in the tins. To serve, loosen the tarts with a knife then remove from the tin, serve as they are or lightly dusted with sifted icing sugar.

TIP: As small tart cases are a bit fiddly to make, why not make double the quantity if you have two muffin tins. Line both tins, chill and bake the tarts then freeze half of the plain tart cases, defrost and fill later for an easy dessert.

Raspberry gin sorbet with lavender thins (Serves 6)

Raspberry gin sorbet with lavender thins

Ingredients:

150g (5oz) caster sugar

200ml (7 fl oz) water

450g (1lb) raspberries

6 tablespoons gin

1 egg white, optional

For lavender thins

150g (5oz) plain flour

25g (1oz) cornflour

50g (2oz) caster sugar, plus extra to decorate

100g (4oz) butter, at room temperature, diced

1 teaspoon dried lavender petals, roughly crushed, plus a little extra to decorate

Method:

1. To make the sorbet, add the sugar and water to a saucepan, heat gently, stirring from time to time until the sugar has dissolved then boil rapidly for 1 minute. Take off the heat and set aside.

2. Add the raspberries to a food processor or liquidiser and puree until smooth. Press through a sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds. Stir the gin and sugar syrup into the berry puree.

3. If you have an electric ice cream machine, pour in the raspberry mixture and churn for about 20 minutes until thick. Lightly fork the egg white together until frothy then beat into the sorbet and churn for 10 more minutes until thick enough to scoop.

4. Without an electric ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a shallow cake tin with a fixed base and freeze for 4 hours until semi frozen. Beat with a fork or blitz in a food processor until smooth and gradually beat in the lightly whipped egg white. Transfer to a plastic container, cover with a lid and freeze for 3-4 hours or overnight until firm.

5. To make the lavender thins, preheat the oven to 170°C, fan assisted 150°C, Gas mark 3. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and rub in the butter with fingertips or an electric mixer until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Bring the crumbs together with your hands to make a dough then roll out thinly on a lightly floured surface.

6. Press into a 23cm (9 inch) diameter fluted flan tin. Prick the centre with a fork and press the edges with a fingertip. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Cook for 25-30 minutes until pale golden around the edges. Mark into 12 thin wedges, sprinkle with extra lavender petals and leave to cool.

7. To serve, scoop the sorbet into glasses and serve with lavender thins.

TIP: If the sorbet has been in the freezer overnight then take the container out of the freezer and allow to soften for 10 minutes before scooping.

Not a fan of lavender then leave it out and add the grated rind of ½ a lemon or leave the biscuit mix plain.

Blueberry and raspberry smoothie

Blueberry and raspberry smoothie

Ingredients:

225g (8oz) or about ¼ red cabbage

225g (8oz) or about 1 large beetroot, trimmed, scrubbed

175g (6oz) raspberries

100g (4oz) blueberries

2 teaspoons runny honey or to taste

Method:

1. Cut the red cabbage and beetroot into pieces that will fit in your juicer chute then press through an electric juicer.

2. Puree the raspberries and blueberries with a little of the red cabbage and beetroot juice in a liquidiser until smooth then add the remaining juice and sweeten to taste with honey.

3. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately or pour into a sports drinks container, seal well and take to the gym for a post workout energy boost.

TIP: If you don’t have a juicer then puree the raspberries and blueberries with 300ml (1/2 pint) bought cranberry and raspberry juice or pomegranate juice.