Crepes Belle Hélène Recipes

ORIGINAL FRENCH CRêPES SUZETTE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a big bowl, vigorously whisk the flour, milk, water, eggs, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, orange juice, orange zest, and salt until the batter is completely smooth. Allow the batter to rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before making the crêpes.
• Use some of the remaining melted butter to grease a crêpe pan , large skillet, or nonstick skillet. Heat up over low-medium heat.
• Add 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl it until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter.
• Cook the crêpe for 1 minute, or until the crêpe is slightly moist on top and golden underneath.
• Loosen the edges of the crêpe, slide a spatula under it, and then gently flip it. If you don't have a spatula, use your fingers, a fork, or carefully flip it in the air using just the pan.
• Cook for 1 minute and transfer the cooked crêpe to a plate to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, lightly greasing the pan with melted butter every time. Set aside.
• In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt half of the butter until it foams.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle half of the sugar over the melted butter.
• Carefully add half of the orange liqueur. The mixture will ignite.
• When the flame goes out, add each crêpe to the pan to coat both sides in the orange syrup.
• Fold the crêpes into quarters or roll them up.
• Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet, remove it from the heat, and add the remaining sugar and Grand Marnier.
• For serving, place 1 or 2 crêpes per person on a plate, top with a scoop of ice cream, and drizzle with orange syrup. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy.

POACHED PEARS BELLE HELENE

Steps:

• Place water in a heavy pot. Stir in zest and juice of 1 lemon. Place pears in pot. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and split pods to the poaching liquid. Pour in sugar.
• Bring pot to a simmer over medium-high heat; stir gently to dissolve sugar with minimal jostling of the pears. Reduce heat so pears continue cooking over a steady, gentle simmer. Pears need to stay submerged, so place a small plate over them in the pot to keep them under the liquid. Simmer until pears are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. (Remove plate to test the pears for doneness.) Remove pot from heat and let pears cool to room temperature in the poaching liquid.
• Transfer pears and vanilla beans to a storage container and cover with some of the poaching liquid. Cover and refrigerate until pears are thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight. Reserve all of the poaching liquid (see footnote).
• Heat hot fudge sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until warm. Dip base of pear into the chocolate and spoon chocolate along the sides except for the top inch or so of the pear.
• Place dipped pears in individual serving bowls with another generous spoonful of syrup and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

CREPES BELLE-HéLèNE

Steps:

• Prepare the pears: In a wide saucepan, mix together 1 cup sugar, vanilla bean, lemon zest and 3 cups water. Place over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Add pear halves and simmer until pears are tender but still keep their shape, about 30 minutes. Transfer pears to a bowl, and set aside. (Vanilla bean may be rinsed, dried and placed in a jar of sugar to make vanilla-scented sugar.)
• While pears poach, prepare crepes: heat oven to 200 degrees. Mix together the flour, milk and egg until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in melted butter. Place a nonstick or well-seasoned crepe pan or 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
• Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into center of pan; lift pan and swirl it so batter covers bottom thinly and evenly. Return pan to heat, and allow it to sit until bottom of crepe is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Flip crepe, and cook other side for 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a parchment-paper lined baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm. (Alternatively, crepes may be allowed to cool for reheating later.) Continue with remaining batter, to make a total of at least 6 crepes.
• Prepare the chocolate sauce: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate, coffee and 1/2 cup sugar. Place over low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate melts. Add cream, return to a bare simmer, and stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur, if using. Pour into a pitcher, and keep warm.
• To serve: Cut pear halves into thin slices. Arrange crepes on a clean work surface, and cover half of each crepe with pear slices. Fold crepes over to make six semicircles. Use a spatula to transfer crepes to individual serving plates or one large platter. At one side of each semicircle place a scoop of ice cream. Fold other side over to make a fat quarter. Top each quarter with hot chocolate sauce, and garnish with crystallized violets.