Crêpes - still incredibly popular in France - offer an array of options from sweet to savoury, This recipe is for a sophisticated dessert that elevates the humble Crêpe to Suzette status.

Ingredients

For the crêpe batter:

  • 125 g plain flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tblsp sunflower oil
  • 75g salted butter (melted)
  • 3 tblsp sugar
  • 350 ml full-fat milk
  • for the orange sauce:
  • 100 g salted butter
  • 100 g sugar
  • 8 tblsp grand marnier or cointreau liqueur
  • 3 tblsp brandy
  • zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 50g butter (for the cooking)

 

Method

  1. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add all the other batter ingredients and stir well with a whisk, working out any lumps that form. Let the batter rest in the fridge for a good hour.
  2. To make the sauce, put the butter in a small saucepan, add the sugar, 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or Cointreau and 1 tablespoon brandy, and the orange zest and juice. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously, then cook briskly until the sauce thickens.
  3. To cook the crêpes, heat a little of the 50g of butter in a crêpe pan. Ladle a little batter into the centre, tilting the pan so that the batter covers the surface thinly and evenly. Cook for about 20 seconds, then flip the crêpe over and cook for a further 20 seconds until it is golden brown. Slide it out of the pan onto a warmed plate and keep warm as you make the rest, melting a little butter in the pan for each one.
  4. To serve, pour the sauce into a frying pan over a low heat. Put the crêpes in the sauce one at a time, folding them once, and then again, to make little triangles. Spoon the sauce over the crêpes to make sure they are all soaked with sauce. Warm the remaining Grand Marnier and brandy in a small saucepan. At the table, pour it over the crepes in the pan, ignite for a magnificent flambé and serve.