Crêpes Suzette is a classic French dessert that consists of thin crêpes served with a delicious sauce made from orange juice, sugar, butter, and orange liqueur (typically Grand Marnier or Cointreau). It’s a delightful and flambeed dessert that’s sure to impress your guests. Here’s a recipe to make Crêpes Suzette:
Ingredients:
For the Crêpes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Additional butter or oil for cooking the crêpes
For the Suzette Sauce:
- Zest of 2 oranges
- Juice of 2 oranges (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest strips (optional, for garnish)
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions:
Making the Crêpes:
- In a blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Blend until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes to an hour, or even overnight in the refrigerator, for better results.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or crêpe pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of butter or oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Pour a small amount of the crêpe batter into the hot pan, swirling it to spread it thinly and evenly. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the edges start to lift and the bottom is golden brown.
- Carefully flip the crêpe using a spatula and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the other side until it’s lightly browned.
- Transfer the cooked crêpe to a plate and continue making more crêpes with the remaining batter, adding a little more butter or oil to the pan as needed. Stack the cooked crêpes on top of each other.
Preparing the Suzette Sauce:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and unsalted butter. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens slightly.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the orange liqueur and lemon juice. Be cautious when adding the liqueur, as it may ignite.
Flambe and Serve:
- Carefully fold each crêpe in half and then in half again to form triangles.
- Place the folded crêpes in the simmering sauce to warm them.
- Using a long lighter or a long match, carefully ignite the sauce. It will flame up momentarily. Allow the flames to subside.
- Remove the crêpes from the sauce with a slotted spoon and place them on serving plates.
- Spoon the Suzette sauce over the crêpes. Garnish with strips of orange zest if desired.
- Serve Crêpes Suzette immediately while they are warm, either as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Enjoy this classic French dessert with its rich and flavorful orange sauce. It’s a showstopper that’s sure to impress your guests.