High Drama: Apple Crepes Flambe

Easier to make than Crepes Suzette, but equal in its dramatic appeal, is Apple Crepes Flambe. If you already have baked apple slices and crepes on hand, this bit of heaven takes but 10 minutes to prepare. Both texture and taste are fabulous. Flaming crisps the crepes, and infuses them with flavor -- in this case, the pure essence of orange and cognac. Here is my favorite formula for crepes, along with the flaming-apple recipe:

I always use an instant-dissolving flour, like "Wondra," for my crepe batter. That's because a batter made with regular flour requires a lengthy rest in the refrigerator, while it absorbs liquids. Furthermore, it must be poured through a fine-mesh sieve before use, in order to remove lumps. Frankly, who needs the extra work?

Basic Crepes
Ingredients for about 20 crepes, 6-inches in diameter

Special Equipment: A blender; a non-stick frying pan, 6-inches diameter on the bottom; a spatula; a wire rack

1 cup instant-dissolving flour
3 eggs
2/3 cup each milk and cold water
6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

The crepe batter. Pour flour, eggs, milk, water, and 3 Tbs melted butter into the jar of the blender. Blend on high for 15 seconds. Then let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Frying the crepes. Heat the frying pan until drops of water dance on the surface, then add just enough melted butter to coat the pan. Pour a scant 1/4 cup (or less) of batter into the pan, and tilt to just coat the pan's bottom. The goal is a very thin crepe, so pour off any excess batter. Fry for 20-30 seconds or until lightly browned, as in the photo above, then flip the crepe over. Fry this nonpublic side for only 5-10 seconds. Then slide the crepe onto the wire rack to cool.

Advance Preparation. You can make these crepes well in advance. When thoroughly cool, they can be stacked without danger of sticking. Seal in a plastic bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or for several weeks in the freezer.

Apple Crepes Flambe
Ingredients for 4 servings (2 crepes per person)
32 oven-baked apple slices - see recipe here
8 crepes (see recipe below)
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup La Belle Orange Orange-Cognac Liquer

Special Equipment: An attractive baking dish, just large enough to hold the crepes; a small, long-handled saucepan (or a cast-iron ladel); a long-handled spoon and fork, for serving; a heat-proof tray

Filling the crepes (above). Arrange 4 baked-apple slices on one half of the nonpublic side of each crepe; fold the other half over the apples. Arrange the crepes in a slightly overlapping fashion in a lightly-buttered baking dish. Give the crepes a sprinkle of sugar and a drizzle of butter.

Advance Preparation. The preceding can be accomplished several hours in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Baking - about 5 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Bake on the upper level of the preheated oven for 5 minutes or so until crepes and apples have warmed throughout, and the sugar topping begins brown.

Serving. To serve, first warm the orange-cognac liquer for about 30 seconds in a small, long-handled saucepan. Next, bring the saucepan and dish of crepes to the table on a heat-proof tray. Ignite the spirits and pour them -- preferably from on high, for dramatic effect -- flaming onto the crepes. (If you don't own a small, long-handled saucepan, simply pour, as I did, the warm spirits into a ladel. Ignite at the table, then pour slowly over the crepes.)

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