Vainly hope set of eggs and tarts was cooked (6,2,6)
I believe the answer is:
clutch at straws
'vainly hope set' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I cannot judge whether this works.
'eggs and tarts was cooked' is the wordplay.
'eggs' becomes 'clutch' (group of bird eggs).
'and' says to put letters next to each other.
'cooked' indicates an anagram (letters cooked into a new form).
'tarts'+'was'='tartswas'
'tartswas' with letters rearranged gives 'atstraws'.
'clutch'+'atstraws'='CLUTCH AT STRAWS'
'of' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for clutch at straws that I've seen before include "Thatcher with job to do could" , "Try something desperate" , "try to grab drinking aids" , "resort to desperate action" , "Hope against hope" .)