My first memory of Carnation condensed milk was in the early seventies. We would arrive home from school on a glorious sunny afternoon and go straight out into the garden. My mother would always have tea ready, something that we really try and do as a family now, its difficult I know as we are both really busy, but Fern & I try to have the fire lit in winter and the paddling pool full in the summer.

On the table there would be allsorts of food, homemade cakes, jugs of juice and tea and Mrs King’s haymakers lemonade. Sandwiches would be, jam, banana, which I loved, sugar, yes sugar, this consisted of buttered bread sprinkled with granulated sugar (my mother refused to buy caster, as it was more expensive) and folded over to form a sandwich. The other sandwich which was my mums favourite was condensed milk, she loved them, and so did we. Thick slices of bread covered with condensed milk and stuck together, lovely!

My grandmother used to make ice cream using condensed milk, a very simple recipe, just with cream added and lightly frozen, she never gave me the recipe, but it was great with wimberry pie, freshly, painstakingly picked, tiny blueberries, by myself and my brothers in The Trough Of Bowland, a beautiful area just north of Blackburn in Lancashire.

Once I became a chef, then a pastry chef, I knew that this unique product could be used in many different ways to create good simple puddings, all with great taste and texture. Over the years I have come up with a some real winners, the best one being the key lime chocolate cheesecake, a real show stopper and really, really simple to make.

The history of condensed milk goes back many years, Napoleon originally thought of the condensing milk to nourish his troops. In world wars 1 & 2 condensed milk played a major role, keeping soldiers sustained, being packed with calcium and minerals, and also for its keeping qualities. Condensed milk is made by removing some of the water from the milk, then replacing the water with sugar; this means the milk does not need to be sterilised, very simple but effective.

From the cooking point of view it’s a perfect medium for making all sorts of great puddings, cakes, sweets and ice creams. It makes a very silky ice cream or parfait, the base for the classic banoffee pie, great, easy base for a crème brulee and of course the best key lime pie/cheesecake in the world.

Whether you’re after a classic favourite such as Cheesecake or Banoffee Pie, five-minute recipes when you’re in a rush, or something new to impress family and friends, there’s a wealth of recipes at your fingertips. There’s also my monthly pudcasts showing you how to make recipes step by step – along with plenty of hints and tips.

The nation is falling back in love with home baking. Despite ready-made treats and puds filling supermarket shelves, more than a third (38 per cent) of Brits are taking delight in making desserts from scratch. So why not pick up a recipe and get cooking.

Professional chefs sadly, in my opinion, too often turn their noses up at convenience foods, why, I do not know. When you get a base product that is this good, and more importantly this versatile, then you have something really special and a great help to the pastry cook, whether you are a professional or amateur. Whatever your level of cooking expertise, then there is something here for you, go on give it a whirl.