Original French Crêpes Suzette Recipes

CRêPES SUZETTE

Steps:

• To make the crêpes, combine milk, water, eggs, sugar, and salt in a blender; blend on medium speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add flour and blend until smooth, about 5 more seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and orange zest; pulse until incorporated, about 3 (1-second) pulses. Cover blender and place in refrigerator; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Remove crêpe batter from fridge. Heat a small (6-inch) nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the melted butter and swirl to coat skillet. Add 2 tablespoons batter and swirl to coat bottom of skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is lightly golden, and the top is still a little moist, about 1 minute. Swirl skillet to loosen crêpe and gently flip with a spatula and your fingers. Cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining butter and batter.
• To make orange sauce, combine orange juice, white sugar, and orange zest in a small skillet over medium. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved and the liquid starts to bubble, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the butter, piece by piece, stirring constantly, until it is melted and fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Let sauce come back up to a simmer and let simmer until slightly syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in orange liqueur and salt. Remove from the heat.
• Fold each crêpe in half, then half again to make a triangle. Dip the folded crêpes into the hot orange sauce. Place on a serving platter. Repeat with remaining crêpes, overlapping each crêpe so they are facing the same direction.
• To serve, pour orange liqueur into the skillet with the remaining orange sauce and place over medium-high. If it does not ignite automatically, use a long-stemmed lighter and carefully set the liqueur on fire. Let it burn for about 30 seconds. Pour the flaming liqueur over the crêpes on the platter and serve immediately with ice cream.

CRêPES SUZETTE

Steps:

• Prepare pancakes following the classic recipe - see 'Goes well with'. Fold the pancakes into quarters.
• Tip the caster sugar into a non-stick frying pan and set the pan over a low-medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt slowly without stirring and continue to cook until it becomes a deep amber-coloured caramel.
• Immediately slide the pan off the heat and add the orange juice - be careful as it may splatter and spit as it hits the hot caramel. Add the orange zest, lemon juice, the Grand Marnier and return the pan to a low heat to re-melt the caramel into the liquid.
• Add the butter to the sauce in small pieces, bring to the boil and simmer gently until glossy and reduced slightly. Add the pancakes to the pan and warm through. Serve immediately.

ULTIMATE CRêPES SUZETTE

Steps:

• Put the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs, oil and 2 tbsp of the milk, and beat together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Slowly start to pour in a little milk, mixing as you pour, to keep the batter smooth. Pour in the rest of the milk, a bit more quickly now, until it looks like single cream. Finally, add the beer.
• Heat a 15cm/6in crêpe pan. Measure 21⁄2 tbsp of the batter into a jug, then pour into the pan, moving it around so the mixture swirls and fits the bottom of the pan. When the crêpe is golden underneath (in about 15 seconds if pan is the right temperature), turn and cook for a further 30 seconds, until spotted brown.
• Slide the crêpe on to a plate. Wipe the pan with oiled kitchen paper and continue frying until all the batter is used, stacking the crêpes on top of each other as you cook them. You can freeze the pancakes at this stage, wrapped in cling film and foil. Or make a day ahead, wrap and keep in the fridge. To reheat, put on an ovenproof plate, cover with foil and warm in a 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C for 10-15 minutes. (If using for Crêpes Suzette, warm through in the sauce.)
• TO MAKE CRÊPES SUZETTE - Make the crêpes as above.
• For the sauce, heat the butter and sugar in a deep frying pan (about 25cm/10in) over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to dissolve; turn up the heat and bubble quite fast, until the mixture just starts to go brown and caramelise (about 4 minutes), stirring only towards the end. Pour in the orange juice (see left); add the orange and lemon zests, letting the mixture bubble for 3-4 minutes to thicken slightly. Add the Grand Marnier and cognac, heat for a few seconds and lower the heat.
• Put one crêpe into the juices and, holding it with a fork, coat it well in the mixture. Fold it into quarters and push to one side of the pan. Continue the coating and folding with the remaining pancakes. Serve 2-3 crêpes per person with the sauce.

FRENCH CREPES SUZETTE

Steps:

• Beat Bisquick mix, milk and eggs in small bowl with fork or wire whisk until blended. Lightly butter 8-inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly. For each crepe, pour 2 tablespoons batter into skillet; immediately rotate skillet until batter covers bottom. Cook until golden brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until golden brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered.
• Heat 1/4 cup butter, the orange peel, orange juice and sugar to boiling in 10-inch skillet, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat liqueur in 1-quart saucepan, but do not boil.
• Fold crepes into fourths; place in hot orange sauce in skillet and turn once. Arrange crepes around edge of skillet. Pour warm liqueur into center of skillet and carefully ignite. After flame dies, place 2 crepes on each dessert plate; spoon warm sauce onto crepes.