Crepes Suzette

This is my favorite dessert, hands down. It’s just luscious. The crepes and the butter can be prepared well in advance. Add drama to dinner by doing the fiery final steps table-side in a chafing dish or electric skillet. Halve the recipe to serve 2-3 people.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

Make the Orange Butter: #

Place the orange zest and the sugar in the food processor and process until the zest is thoroughly incorporated into the sugar. Add the butter and a small pinch of salt, and process until creamy and fluffy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Then, little by little, add the liqueur and the as much of the orange juice as you can incorporate into the mixture (at least 1/2 cup). Pack the butter into an attractive bowl, cover, and refrigerate. This may be refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen.

To Serve: #

Have your utensils, warm plates, crepes, orange butter (brought to room temperature), sugar, a box of matches, and liqueurs at the ready. Heat your chafing dish and add the orange butter to the pan. Let it cook until it boils and bubbles and thickens into a syrup.

One by one with a long-handled spoon and fork, take the crepes and bathe each one in the orange butter. Fold in half, and then in half again to make a wedge shape. Lay the folded crepes around the edge of the pan.

When all of the crepes are coated and folded, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the crepes. Pour the cognac and orange liqueur over the crepes and let bubble up for a few moments. Carefully, using a match, ignite the liqueurs. Spoon the flaming liquid over the crepes, basting them, until the flames abate.

Serve at once — a small scoop of good vanilla ice cream on each serving is lovely.