Crêpes Suzette

Adapted from a Julia Child recipe. For 6 to 8 people.

Crêpe batter

1 1/3 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp of sugar
2 cups of milk (+ 1/2 cup of water for lighter crêpes)
2 tsp of oil
1 Tbsp of orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
Salt

  • Beat the eggs with the sugar, add the flour and the milk.
  • Mix in the oil, liqueur and salt.
  • Adding 1/2 cup of water to the initial crêpe batter will make these dessert crêpes much lighter.
  • Let rest for at least one hour.

Orange butter

For about 20 to 24 crêpes.

1/4 cup of sugar
The orange part of the skin of 1 orange
1/4 lb of unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/4 cup of strained orange juice
2 Tbsp of orange liqueur

  • Finely blend the sugar and the orange skin in a food processor.
  • Add the butter by pieces and blend until smooth and fluffy.
  • Cream in the orange juice by droplets and add the liqueur.

Final cooking

For about 8 crêpes.

1/4 of a cup of cognac

Crêpes aux pommes dorin

Batter for about 20 small crêpes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp of oil
2 cups of milk
1 Tbsp Applejack or Calvados

For the filling

6 Tbsp of unsalted butter
4 lb tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
8 Tbsp of sugar
6 Tbsp light cream
6 Tbsp of Applejack or Calvados

To finish

Sugar
6 Tbsp of Calvados

  • For the batter, put the flour into a bowl, make a well in the center, and add the egg, egg yolk and oil.
  • Mix in half of the milk, drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the rest of the milk and the Calvados and mix well.
  • Let rest for 2 hours.
  • For the filling, melt the butter in a thick pan and cook the apples, stirring all the time, until they are soft but not puréed.
  • Stir in the sugar, cream and Calvados.
  • Lightly oil a pan and heat until hot.
  • Cover the pan with a thin layer of batter and cook until brown.
  • Turn over and cook the other side. Remove and keep hot.
  • Do the rest of the batter in the same way.
  • Place a crêpe in the bottom of a hot fireproof dish, spread with some of the apple mixture and cover with another crêpe.
  • Continue in this way sandwiching the apple mixture between each crêpe and finishing with a crêpe on top.
  • Keep everything hot.
  • Dust thickly with the sugar, heat the remaining Calvados and flame the crêpes with this.
  • Serve at once, cutting the crêpes into wedges.

Crêpes quatres saisons

6 Tbsp of onions
2 Tbsp of butter
1/2 to 1 cup of sour cream
1/4 lb of smoked salmon cut into small pieces

6 crêpes

  • Cook onions in butter until soft.
  • Mix in the salmon and the sour cream.
  • Spoon the mixture onto the crêpes and roll them.
  • Place the crêpes, seam down, on a buttered dish.
  • Cover with the béchamel sauce and warm up in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
  • Or, sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese and run under the broiler until brown.

Béchamel sauce

Makes two cups

  • Melt 2 Tbsp of butter
  • Mix in 4 Tbsp of flour
  • Slowly add 1 cup of milk or chicken stock ‑ or a mixture of both