Crepes, thin French pancakes, beg to be swaddled in a boozy sweet sauce. Orange sauce with a splash of Grand Marnier is the classic topping for crepes Suzette. You can add a little drama by flambeing the sauce in the pan tableside, then using long-handled tongs to transfer the crepes to everyone’s plates. To flambe, just before serving, add another splash of Grand Marnier or brandy to the pan, stand back, and carefully ignite the liquid with a long-handled match or lighter. Poof! The liquid will gently flame like a can of sterno. When the flames subside, serve up the crepes with a dusting of powdered sugar. Gild the lily with a couple scoops of Wicked Kitchen Vanilla Ice Dream!
Ingredients
Crepes
1 cup (120 g) plain white all-purpose flour
1 1/8 cups (250 ml) plain unflavored soy milk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vegan butter
Orange Sauce
3 Tbsp superfine (caster) sugar or granulated sugar
1 cup (250 ml) fresh squeezed orange juice
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau
3 1/2 Tbsp (50 g) vegan butter, cut into small cubes
For the crepes, grab a medium bowl, and add the flour, milk, oil, and sugar. Whisk together, then cover and set the batter aside for 10 minutes.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and brush with the vegan butter. Now, get ready to use both hands at once. With one hand, ladle about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the batter into the center of the pan, and immediately use your other hand to quickly tilt the pan around, swirling the batter from the center to the edges to create an even thin pancake. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect on the first try. You’ll have several more tries! Let the crepe cook and once the top looks dry, flip it carefully and fry the other side just until lightly speckled, another minute or so.
Transfer the crepe to a warm plate and repeat until all the crepe batter has been used and the crepes are all stacked. The crepes can be made ahead. If you’re letting the crepes sit for a few hours, let them cool, and place waxed paper or parchment between them to prevent sticking. Then place the stack in a resealable plastic bag and let them sit at room temp. Or you can stick the bag in fridge for a few days. Or freeze the crepes for a few months!
When it’s showtime, make the sauce. Sprinkle the sugar evenly into a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Allow the sugar to melt until it turns a deep caramel color. It’ll take several minutes and you may need to swirl the pan or stir with a wooden spoon to make sure the sugar browns evenly. Molten sugar is wicked hot so keep your wits about you!
Turn off the heat, stand back, and carefully add the orange juice followed by the orange zest, lemon juice, and the Grand Marnier or Cointreau. It’ll bubble up. The caramel will have turned solid by this point so return it to a low heat until everything is re-melted.
Once the sauce is simmering, stir in the butter and let simmer for around 2 minutes.
Add one of the crepes to the pan and warm in the sauce, getting it good and coated. Fold it in half then in half again to make a triangle shape, then push it to the edge of the pan. Repeat with the remaining crepes until they’re all warm, sauced, and folded in the pan.
Transfer the saucy crepes to dessert plates, and serve immediately with powdered sugar and scoops of Wicked Kitchen Vanilla Ice Dream.
You can make the crepes ahead, but if you’re making everything from start to finish, warm a plate to make sure the crepes stay warm. Alternatively, warm your oven slightly and transfer the crepes to a baking tray while you fry the rest.
For the sauce, when you add the orange juice to the caramel, there will be a lot of steam and potentially some splattering. The molten sugar will be wicked hot, too, so stand back a bit and be careful when you add the liquids!
To sauce the crepes, add them one at a time to the pan of sauce, dredging them in the sauce. Then fold in half and in half again, but leave them triangles of crepes in the pan to keep them warm. Push each one to the edge of the pan to make room for additional crepes.
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