Some people may like one more than another, preferring a super — light angel cake to a bourbon biscuit or they may call a biscuit a cookie and the other a sponge. And, you may not think of having a slice of fruitcake or a piece of shortbread for breakfast — but for me, just once a year, a slice of fried Christmas pudding with an egg on top goes down well on Boxing Day, the morning after.

Undoubtedly, most of us have a liking for sweet cakes and desserts, and we can always find room for one or more — be it New York style cheesecake, gingernut biscuits or the queen of the dessert tray; cream filled profiteroles.

To make them at home needs patience and it may take a little time to master the art of making choux pastry the base of profiteroles and eclairs but the end result is worth it. Choux pastry: Take 5 fl oz cold water and 2 ozs butter and melt slowly in a pan. When melted completely throw in 2 1/2 ozs sifted flour all at once and allow to foam. Remove from the heat at once and beat well until smooth. As it thickens add 2 eggs beating in one at a time. Cover with a plate and leave to cool - but do not refrigerate.

Fill this mixture into a nylon bag fitted with a 1/2 inch nozzle, hold this vertically above an oiled baking tray and squeeze large blobs onto the tray, cutting off the end of each blob with a wet knife as you go. Bake until golden in a hot oven 220C (425F) oven. Cool and fill with Chantilly cream. Eat as soon as possible, choux does not keep well.

To make Chantilly cream; whip 1/4 pt thick cream until it peaks, add 1 tspn icing sugar — you can use white sugar ground down very, very fine instead. Test for sweetness and add more sugar if you like. Add an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier drop by drop — no more than 1 tspn — stirring it in well. Finally mix in 1 stiffly whipped egg white. I have done this successfully with chocolate cream too.

To make Gingernut biscuits perfect for dunking in tea or coffee; Mix 280g plain all-purpose flour, 1 tspn baking soda, 1/2 tspn grated cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, a good pinch of grated nutmeg, pinch of white pepper and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Beat 225g unsalted butter at room temperature — not straight from the fridge, and 225g caster sugar until fluffy. Beat in grated zest from 1 medium-sized lemon and 1/2 inch piece of vanilla scraped from inside a vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract). Next beat in 2 egg yolks, then 2 Tbsp milk. When smooth, very gently fold in the flour mixture until well mixed. Cover and chill 30 minutes. To make the biscuits (cookies), take 1 Tbsp of the pastry between your palms, roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment - make an indentation by pressing down with your thumb. Bake at 180C/350F for 10 minutes until crisp. Cool on a wire tray. You can also make various shapes by rolling out the pastry dusted with flour and using a purpose-made cookie cutter.

Easy cheesecake; put 8 digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin, remove the crumbs from bag, mix with 50gms melted butter, press into a 20cms baking tin and bake for 5 minutes. Cool.

In the meantime, beat 600 gm cream cheese, 2 Tbsp plain flour, 150 gms caster sugar, 2 eggs, 140 ml sour cream and a few drops of vanilla essence. Pour onto cooled pastry crust. Bake at 180C/350F for 35 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin.

You can serve cheesecake or plain sponge/angel-cake with homemade blueberry sauce made by heating 150 gms blueberries or any other soft berry fruit, and 1 Tbsp icing sugar, mashed with a fork and cooled. Pour sauce onto each portion as you serve.