Mascarpone scented with tiny speckles of vanilla seeds make a quick and easy delicious cream to serve with ginger snap baskets. Add fresh fruit and a picnic dessert could not be easier.

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla pod
• 125 grams mascarpone
• 1 tblsp caster or icing sugar
• 4 ginger snap baskets
• 2 peaches, stoned and chopped
• mint leaves to garnish

Method

1. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds and mix with the mascarpone and sugar. (Keep the vanilla pod to scent sweet syrups or your caster sugar).
2. Divide the cream among the ginger snap baskets. Arrange the fruit on top and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Cooks Tips

- When buying vanilla pods, look for those that are soft and supple. Brittle pods are old and without flavour. - Ginger-snap baskets are readily available from supermarkets.