Sydney flambeed fruits with maple syrup and lightning Champagne cocktail

Ingredients

225g/8oz large strawberries
3 ripe but firm peaches
2 tbsp brandy plus extra for flambeeing
2 tbsp icing sugar
200g/7oz tub crème fraîche or Greek style natural yoghurt
maple syrup to serve
For the Champagne cocktail
6 white sugar cubes
1 orange
6tsp brandy
75cl bottle chilled champagne or dry sparkling white wine

Method

1. Hull the strawberries and halve the peaches, remove the stones and cut them into thick slices. Place them into a large bowl with the 2 tbsp of brandy and mix together well. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. For the champagne cocktails, rub each sugar cube over the surface of the orange so that it picks up the flavour of the zest. Drop each one into a tall-stemmed glass and add a teaspoon of the brandy to each. Set aside.
3. If your barbecue has widely spaced bars, position a fine-meshed rack over the coals and leave it for a couple of minutes to get hot.
4. Place the pieces of fruit on to the rack and cook for two minutes.
5. Spoon the icing sugar into a fine sieve and dust half of it heavily over the fruits. Turn them over and cook for two minutes until the sugar has lightly caramelised.
6. Now if you want to, stand back and splash an extra teaspoon of brandy over the fruits, taking care because it will ignite as it hits the coals. Let the flames die down between each spoonful.
7. Quickly remove the fruits to individual bowls, spoon over the crème fraîche or yoghurt and drizzle over the mayple syrup.
8. Pour the champagne into the prepared glasses and serve straightaway.