What kind of herbs can you use in desserts

A.� Too many people restrict herbs to savoury dishes: basil and tomatoes or chicken and tomatoes. But herbs can liven up desserts too. Basil and mint, lemon balm and thyme, rosemary and lavender can perk up a dull pudding.

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Parsley was once the most common herb in British kitchens but chives, dill, tarragon, basil and corinader are widely available today.

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Herbs work best with fruit and egg-based puddings because of their sublety and flavour. Strong sweet tastes like chocolate can mask any hint of herb.

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Basil and vanilla work well together and mint and thyme marry with apples and pears. Mint is good with apricots, peaches and melon. {astries are good with spicier ingredients like cumin.

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Q.� What about more unusual herbs

A.� Lemon verbena gives a hint of lemon and work wells as a substitute for lemongrass in oriental cooking. Many chefs use in sparingly in fruit salads, fruit cups and as a garnish to summer drinks.

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Angelica is often candied and used for decoration but it can be added to stewed rhubarb. Borage's bright blue star flowers liven up salads and summery soft drinks. The long oval leaves are too hairy to be eaten whole, but if you snip them or crush them, they taste a bit like cucumber in salad.

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Lavender is not really a cooking herb, but the flowers are decorative whole and if you dry them, they can be used sparingly to give a sweet fragrance to sorbets, ices and desserts.

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Q.� How can I�use this pot of basil on my windowsill

A.� Try a simple basil and vanilla ice-cream. You will need:

300ml/half pint of full fat milk

3 split vanilla pods

4 egg yolks

115g/4oz caster sugar

150ml/1/4 pint of chilled double cream

1tbsp very finely chopped basil, plus a few leaves for decoration

A grind of black pepper

Method: put the milk in a pan with the vanilla pods and bring to boiling point over a low heat. When it bubbles, turn down and simmer. Take the pan off the heat and keep warm. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light and frothy. Remove the vanilla pods from the milk and pour the hot milk, a little at a time, into the saucepan and return to a very low heat. Bring almost to boiling point, stirring all the time with a large wooden spoon.

The cream will thicken slowly until it can coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow to boil and lift off the heat during cooking. Strain through a fine sieve and stir frequently while it colls.

Whisk the double cream until it's standing in firm peaks then fold into cold custard. Stir in basil and pepper.

Pout mixture into ice-cream maker and churn, or into a suitable container and freeze for three hours.

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By Katharine MacColl