Their history is shrouded in mystery, while they are enveloped in orange syrup and flambéed in Grand Marnier. Crêpes-Suzette are the star of French gastronomy, carry a feminine name, and once you taste them, you can't forget them. Crêpes-Suzette are always a treat, especially during peak orange season!
THE ORIGIN of these crepes is not entirely clear. There are several hypotheses and stories about how they came to be. The most frequently mentioned tale centers around Henri Charpentier, then a 15-year-old waiter who was about to serve dessert to the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward. It was 1895, at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo. In his rush to provide impeccable service to the prince, the crepes caught fire. However, the flambéing was precisely what highlighted the flavors and made the prince savor the dessert. Not only did he enjoy it, but he also wanted to know its name. The presumed creator wanted to name them in honor of the prince, calling them Crêpes-Princesse. But the prince, being elegant, suggested that they be named after a young lady in his entourage: Suzette. And that’s how they became Crêpes-Suzette.
Another story claims that Crêpes-Suzette were actually created by a chef named Monsieur Joseph for a German actress, Susanne Reichenhurg, affectionately nicknamed Suzette. In one of the plays she starred in, there was a character named Suzette, a maid who had to serve some crepes in one scene. Monsieur Joseph was the one providing the crepes for the play.
Finally, another story—again not fully confirmed—suggests that these delightful crepes appeared at the court of King Louis XV, when Princess Suzette de Carignan asked the court chef to create a special dessert to impress the king, whom she was in love with. Naturally, the dessert had to bear her name.
So, it’s unclear how Crêpes-Suzette came to be or who invented them. However, whoever is responsible, we can only be grateful. Once you taste them, you can't forget them. Crêpes-Suzette are always a delight, especially during peak orange season!
INGREDIENTS FOR CRÊPES-SUZETTE
For the crepes:
250 ml milk
2 eggs
A pinch of salt
25g sugar
125g flour
25 ml Grand Marnier (or cognac)
Zest of an orange
25g melted butter
For the orange syrup:
100g powdered sugar
100g butter
200 ml fresh orange juice (from two medium oranges)
Optional: fresh mint leaves
Optional: orange segments
For flambéing: Grand Marnier (or cognac)
HOW TO MAKE CRÊPES-SUZETTE
The first step: the crepes. It couldn’t be simpler: put all the ingredients in a blender, mix, and then let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Once the time has passed, take a non-stick crepe pan and pour an appropriate amount of the batter to spread across the entire pan with a circular wrist motion. After cooking both sides, set the crepes aside until it's time to prepare the orange syrup. The crepes can even be made a day in advance; they will still be just as good. 🙂
The second step: the syrup. In a pan, melt 100g of butter along with the powdered sugar and the juice from the two oranges. Fresh mint leaves can be a nice addition if you have them on hand, as I did. Stir until everything transforms into a syrup. Fold the crepes into quarters and immerse them in the freshly made syrup for about a minute on each side, just enough to absorb the orange flavors and coat them in the syrup's sweetness.
In a glorious final touch, add a splash of Grand Marnier on top and flambé—serve immediately, with two or three spoonfuls of the syrup they were soaked in, grated orange zest, and mint leaves.
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