A super, unusual dessert and just 50 calories per serving!

With delicate lavender flavours, this recipe is our celebration of the very first apricot growing on our apricot tree in 2010! Delicious hot with ice cream, it's also a wonderful chilled dessert for a summer barbecue party. You can prepare it a couple of days ahead for stress-free entertaining.

Serves 6 Ingredients: 350g (12oz) ripe apricots 50g (2oz) caster sugar A Pinch of food-grade Dried Lavender Flowers (available from Three Counties Gourmet)

Cut the apricots in half and remove the stones.

Place in a small pan with sugar, lavendar and 150ml (5fl oz) water.

Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 5-10 minutes (or until the fruit has softened), stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Beware: make sure you use food-grade lavender flowers to avoid nasty chemicals. Click here for more info.

This takes just ten minutes to make and will store in the fridge for 2-3 days, or for up to 3 months in the freezer. What more could you ask for?

© Delia Swift (July 2010)