I’VE MADE quite a few different kinds of cheesecakes before but I must say none of them have been as easy as this no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe.

It is a family favourite of mine which I make every summertime, making the most of the great British strawberries in season around Wimbledon time.

Summertime is the time for the great outdoors (well usually, if the weather is kind!) and with it comes lots of outdoor eating, shutting down the Aga for a few weeks and dusting off the barbecue.

I love the whiff of charred, low-quality sausages hanging in the summer breeze, hazing across my garden fence.

A real man should know how to light a barbecue - and recognize that when a woman says she is ''fine'' it means she is not, and she doesn’t accept burnt burgers and sausages!

We men are keepers of the grill: lords and masters of the meat and not salad-spinners.

So a tip from me ladies, grab the tongs and start cooking, and watch the eyebrows rise and the conversation level drop!

Cheesecake is the perfect finger outdoor food to serve at a barbie, a source for anything except pure bliss. Not distress or frustration, but rich and sweet, with an air of flirtation just like Nigella!

Cheesecakes have been around longer than you think. Some historians credit the recipe to ancient Greece, with it reportedly being a stable food used to fuel Olympic athletes.

The Americans soon put their own spin on this beloved dessert by adding cream cheese.

As for the toppings, it’s strawberries all the way for me!

Sara Lee nearly put me off cheesecakes for life in the early 80s and I still often wonder why mum billed this particular pudding as a treat every Christmas time -- sorry mum!

Back to cheesecake. To make life even easier for yourself, invest in a spring-form tin, one with a separate upper, which is fastened with a spring. A loose-bottom tin will work perfectly well too, or you'll be hard-pressed to get the thing out in one piece.

Philadelphia cheese will be some people’s loyal brand, but other brands work perfectly well with this recipe. Do buy full-fat cream cheese – cheesecakes are not to be skimped with.

Keeping things very simple, a good branded or homemade strawberry jam is ideal to use as a sauce but don’t mind the extra washing-up, process the strawberries with a little sugar and lime in a food processor or blender until smooth. Then chill for one hour before serving.

If you are not a strawberry fan, the toppings work well with cheesecakes like chocolate, caramel, maple, raspberry, lemon and apple and pecan, to name but a few.

Due to the popularity of his previous articles Baker Mike is now writing more Friend In Knead articles than ever for The Ticket – two every five weeks! Don’t worry if you’ve missed previous articles, simply visit the Keighley News website, click on What’s On, then Food & Drink, then Friend In Knead.