Crepe craze - Recipe

Sunset, Feb, 2001 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

12 thin crepes (6 or 7 in., page 130)

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter or margarine

1/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur such as Grand Marnier or curacao

1/4 cup cognac, brandy, or more orange-flavor liqueur

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Fold crepes in half, pale surfaces inside, and lay, overlapping, on a plate.

2. In a bowl, mix orange and lemon peel with orange and lemon juice.

3. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan or chafing dish over high heat, melt sugar, shaking pan often, until it turns amber, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add juice mixture all at once; sugar hardens. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add butter and stir until melted.

4. With 2 large spoons and working quickly, lay 1 folded crepe at a time in sauce, turn over, fold crepe again to make a triangle, and push to a side of the pan. Repeat to moisten and fold each crepe, overlapping as needed to fit in pan.

5. Pour liqueur and cognac over crepes; when liqueurs are slightly warm, about 30 seconds, ignite (not beneath an exhaust fan or flammable items). Shake pan or spoon sauce over crepes until flame dies. Let simmer 1 or 2 minutes, then spoon crepes and sauce onto plates. Accompany with ice cream.

Per serving: 284 cal., 44% (126 cal.) from fat; 5.1 g protein; 14 g fat (8 g sat.); 30 g carbo (1.1 g fiber); 152 mg sodium; 118 mg chol.

Souffle Crepes

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes NOTES: The first crepes tend to be thicker and require slightly more batter to fill pan; as batter stands, it thins and spreads more readily. To store, see notes for thin crepes (page 130).

MAKES: 8 (7-in.) or 6 (8-in.) crepes

4 large eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/4 cups milk or half-and-half (light cream)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

About 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1. In a bowl with mixer on high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they form a thick foam. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar until whites hold stiff moist peaks.

2. In a blender, whirl egg yolks, milk, flour, and baking powder until smooth; scrape container as needed. Pour into whipped whites; fold gently until mixture is thoroughly blended.

3. Use a crepe pan or regular or nonstick frying pan with a bottom that measures 7 to 8 inches across. Set pan on medium heat; when hot, brush bottom with butter (as needed or for flavor, in a nonstick pan). Pour 1/2 to 2/3 cup batter into pan all at once, and with the back of a spoon spread to cover pan bottom evenly. Cook until crepe is golden brown on both sides, turning once with a wide spatula, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.

4. Invert crepe onto a flat plate; cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat to cook and stack remaining crepes (it gets thinner as it stands; stir often), tilting pan to coat bottom evenly.

Per 7-in, crepe: 121 cal., 50% (60 cal.) from fat; 5.2 g protein; 6.7 g fat(3.4 g sat.); 9.7 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 95 mg sodium; 119 mg chol.