Flaming Fruit Kebabs with Cinnamon Orange Cream

Serves 8

This recipe is courtesy of “Good Cooking” and I’ve never seen it in a Christmas recipe book but it is festive, light and hot. (Who wants to eat cold desserts at Christmas?) It is also extremely easy!

Cinnamon Orange Cream

200 ml thick cream

90 ml (6tblsp) sour cream or crème fraiche

15 ml (1 tbsp) icing sugar

15 ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

1 large orange

Grate the orange zest and reserve. Lightly whip cream to soft stage.  Add the sour cream, sifted icing sugar, reserved orange zest and cinnamon folding them in gently.  Transfer to a sauce boat, cover and chill.

Fruit Kebabs

1 large lemon

Juice of 1 large orange

4 tblsp soft brown sugar

16 large pitted prunes or 8 dessert plums

8 apricots or small peaches

2 small dessert pears

4 large firm bananas

3 tblsp brandy

Squeeze the orange and lemon juice into a bowl.  Stir in the sugar and ground cinnamon.  Skin, halve and stone plums and apricots if using.  Peel quarter and core pears.  Peel bananas and cut each into four pieces.  Add to the fruit bowl.

Toss the fruit lightly to coat all over, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Drain fruit and thread onto metal skewers.  Lay the kebabs in a single layer in a large double thick sheet of foil.  Fold the sides and ends of the foil and crimp firmly to seal the parcel.

Lay the parcel in a large ovenproof dish and chill until required.  Cook in the oven at 190 °C for 20 – 25 mins.

Measure the brandy into a pan and heat over a medium heat.

Unwrap the kebabs and lay directly in an overproof dish.  Pour the warmed brandy over the fruit and set alight.  Serve with the cinnamon cream and enjoy!