Name: Crepes Suzette
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: Crepes; 1 cup plain flour; 2 tsp caster sugar; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1-1¼ cups milk; 1 tbsp melted butter; 1 tbsp French brandy; Melted butter, for greasing; Pouring cream, to serve; Sauce; 60g butter; ½ cup sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 1½ cups fresh orange juice, strained; ¼ cup Cointreau; Julienned zest from 1 orange (see tip, below); Tip: To make julienned zest; peel orange rind into wide strips using a vegetable peeler. Using a small sharp knife, remove white pith. Cut zest into very thin strips. Alternatively, use an orange zester.

Ingredients

Crepes

1 cup plain flour

2 tsp caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1-1¼ cups milk

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp French brandy

Melted butter, for greasing

Pouring cream, to serve

Sauce

60g butter

½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1½ cups fresh orange juice, strained

¼ cup Cointreau

Julienned zest from 1 orange (see tip, below)

Tip: To make julienned zest; peel orange rind into wide strips using a vegetable peeler. Using a small sharp knife, remove white pith. Cut zest into very thin strips. Alternatively, use an orange zester.

Method

1.

Make crepes; sift flour into a bowl. Add sugar and stir to combine. Whisk eggs, 1 cup of milk, melted butter and brandy in a jug. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients. Pour in egg mixture and whisk until smooth (pass mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps). Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Batter should be consistency of pouring cream – thin down with remaining milk if necessary. Transfer batter to a pouring jug.

2.

Lightly grease a 20cm shallow non-stick frying pan or crepe pan with butter. Tilt pan and pour 2-3 tbsps of batter onto one side, swirling pan to coat base. (Tip any excess batter back into the jug, to ensure a thin pancake.)

3.

Cook on a medium heat until crepe is golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Loosen edges with a thin metal spatula and turn over. Cook other side for 1-2 minutes. Stack crepes on a plate, cover with a tea towel and continue process.

4.

To make sauce; put all ingredients except zest in a medium metal frying pan over a medium-high heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and cook, without stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until syrupy. Add zest and swirl pan to combine. Remove from heat.

5.

To serve, stack a few crepes in pan to coat with sauce. Place over a low heat to warm. Fold each crepe into quarters and transfer to serving plates. Repeat with more crepes. Spoon remaining sauce over crepes and drizzle with cream to serve.

Note: Any leftover crepes can be frozen – layer between baking paper before freezing.

Recipe Kerrie Worner

With over 20 years in magazines, Kerrie’s work has adorned HB’s pages as contributing food editor, along with BHG, Elle Cuisine, Australian Women’s Weekly and Family Circle. “It is so important to encourage people to learn simple food skills so they can learn how easy it is to fall in love with their creative side,” she says.