Poached, turned into jam, whizzed in a smoothie, baked in a cake or covered with pastry in a pie, they are versatile, delicious and nutritious too. Known for their anti-aging properties, they also ease the symptoms of inflammatory diseases of the joints such as arthritis and gout. They really are the fruit to enjoy while in season.

TIPS When stoning cherries you can, of course, just cut them in half to remove the stones. But if you want them to stay intact, then it will be worth buying a cherry-stoner from a good kitchen shop;

this will also be handy for stoning olives.

The skin of cherries tends to stain, so if stoning a large amount you might want to wear rubber gloves to avoid crimson fingers.

When buying cherries, choose the ones with the stalks as they will keep better, and make sure they have no brown soft spots.

CHERRIES WITH TOASTED ALMONDS AND MINT
Serves 4

450g/1lb ripe cherries, pitted
1-2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp water
Juice of half a lemon
4 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted on a dry pan till golden
1 tbsp chopped mint

To serve, ice cream or creme fraiche Toss the cherries in a pan with the sugar and water until the cherries have softened and are nice and juicy. Add the lemon juice, taste and add more sugar if necessary.Place in bowls with a scoop of ice cream or a little creme fraiche and sprinkle with the flaked almonds and chopped mint.

CHERRY CRUMBLE CAKE

I love this cake, it's great as a dessert, or KE to bring on a picnic with a flask of tea.

Serves 6

150g/5oz self-raising flour
Pinch ground cinnamon
50g/2oz caster sugar
1 large egg 25ml/1fl. oz milk
85g/3 and a half oz butter, melted
350g/12 oz juicy, ripe fresh cherries
Icing sugar, for dusting

For the crumble topping

25g plain flour
Tbsp ground cinnamon
25g/1oz caster sugar
25g/1oz butter, at room temperature, diced

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Grease around the sides and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin about 5cm deep.

Remove the stalks and stones from the cherries using a cherry pitter if you have one to keep the fruit whole. Otherwise cut them in half and discard the stones. Place the cherries aside until you are ready to use them.

Sift the 150g flour and cinnamon into a bowl, add the 50g of caster sugar, mix and make a well in the centre. In a bowl, whisk the egg with the milk and melted butter, then pour into the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon or whisk.

Beat well to make a thick, smooth mixture. Spoon into the tin and spread evenly. Scatter the cherries over the mixture and gently press them in.

To make the topping, tip all the ingredients into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingers to make a crumb-like mixture then scatter the topping over the cherries. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for about 10 minutes until cool enough to handle, then run a knife round the edge, remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

CHERRY AND BRANDY COMPOTE WITH CINNAMON

This is absolutely divine. Serve it warm, or at room temperature with vanilla icecream. It will keep for a few days so reheat it if you wish.

25g/1oz butter
1kg/2lbs fresh cherries, pitted whole or cut in half and pitted
100g/4oz sugar
50ml/2fl. oz brandy
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

To prepare the compote, heat the butter in a medium saute pan over high heat.

When the butter is bubbling, add the cherries, toss with the butter and saute for two to three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy and cinnamon. Cook the cherries over high heat until they are tender; about five minutes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CHERRY MOUSSE
Serves 4-6

50g sugar
50ml water
Cinnamon stick 6cm long
100g ripe cherries, pitted
100g white chocolate
150ml cream
1 leaf gelatine
2 egg whites
50g caster sugar

Place the sugar, water, cinnamon and pitted cherries in a saucepan over a low heat, bring to the boil and simmer for three or four minutes, until the cherries are soft but still holding their shape. Allow to cool, then divide the mixture, and juice between four or six little glasses or cups.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water. Set aside, leaving the chocolate to cool slightly. Whip the cream in a separate bowl until it is almost stiff and place in the fridge.

Place the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water for three or four minutes until it has softened. Drain off the water and then add two tablespoons of boiling water and stir to dissolve the gelatine.

Place the egg whites in a bowl with half the sugar and whisk until firm. Then add the remaining sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is stiff.

Pour the dissolved gelatine into the melted chocolate and stir to mix, then fold in the whisked egg white mixture and, lastly, fold in the cool whipped cream.

Pour into the cups or glasses on top of the cherries, allow to cool and set in the fridge for a couple of hours.