Crepe Suzette
Ingredients
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- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar – for batter
- 1/8 tsp fine salt
- 2 egg – large
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter – melted (for batter)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter – for pan
- 2 orange – zested and juiced (about 0.5 cup juice)
- 1/2 cups granulated sugar – for sauce
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter – cold, cut into small cubes (for sauce)
- 1 lemon – juiced (1 tbsp)
- 1/4 cups orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
Instructions
1. Make the batter: In a bowl, whisk the flour, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, then gradually whisk the wet mixture into the dry until smooth. Whisk in 2 tbsp melted butter. Let rest 30 minutes to hydrate.
2. Cook the crêpes: Heat an 8–10 inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush with 1 tbsp butter. Pour in about 0.25 cup batter, swirling to thinly coat the pan. Cook until the edges set and the underside has light golden spots, 30–45 seconds; flip and cook 10–20 seconds more. Slide to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, buttering the pan lightly as needed, to make 8–10 crêpes. Fold each crêpe into quarters and keep warm.
3. Prep the citrus: Finely zest both oranges and juice them to yield about 0.5 cup. Juice the lemon to get 1 tbsp and set aside. Measure the orange liqueur.
4. Make the Suzette sauce base: In a wide skillet (12 inches), sprinkle 0.5 cup granulated sugar in an even layer over medium heat. Let it melt without stirring, swirling occasionally, until melted and light amber, 3–5 minutes. Off heat, carefully add the orange juice and zest (caramel will seize), then return to medium heat and simmer, stirring, until smooth and slightly syrupy, 2–3 minutes.
5. Finish the sauce: Whisk in the 6 tbsp cold butter a few pieces at a time until glossy and emulsified. Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon.
6. Glaze the crêpes: Add 4 folded crêpes to the skillet and spoon sauce over to coat. Turn once and warm 1–2 minutes until supple and glazed. Repeat with remaining crêpes, keeping them in the pan so they’re all coated and hot.
7. Flambé and serve: In a small saucepan, gently warm the orange liqueur over low heat just until steaming, 15–30 seconds (do not boil). Remove from heat, pour it over the sauced crêpes, and immediately ignite with a long match. Let the flames subside naturally, 15–30 seconds, spooning sauce over the crêpes as they burn off. Divide crêpes among plates, spoon extra sauce over, and serve at once.
Crepe Suzette is a quintessential French dessert of delicate, lace-thin crêpes bathed in a glossy orange-butter caramel known as beurre Suzette. The sauce balances gentle sweetness with the faint bitterness of caramel and the bright perfume of fresh orange zest and juice. A splash of orange liqueur adds warmth and complexity, and the crêpes are often flambéed tableside for drama and a whisper of toasted aromatics.
Legends place its creation in the late 19th century, famously tied to a young waiter said to have improvised it for the future King Edward VII, naming the dish after his dining companion, Suzette. While stories vary, the preparation was codified in classic French cuisine and popularized in grand hotels and restaurants. Over time, it became a hallmark of guéridon service, where the sauce is finished in a pan and the liqueur ignited just before serving.