Delightful Sweet Orange Saffron Crêpes Provençal

Looking for a fresh new dessert idea for a dinner party?   Then try these delightful Orange Saffron Crepes Provencal, subtly flavored with Saffron – a delicious departure from regular crêpes.  Why the Saffron?  Although unknown to many, Saffron was first brought to France by the Romans and is still being produced in Provence.  Harvest occurs in October, more on than it my next post…

Don’t get these confused with Crêpes Suzettes (made famous by Julia Child) – those finicky crêpes that you must flambe – these are much easier to make.  Orange Crepes Provençal are wonderful with butter and orange marmalade, honey, or just a bit of sugar.  For a lighter summer version,  try topping with strawberries marinated in Grand Marnier and sugar.

Now where ‘o where did I hide my crêpe pan???  Hmmm…  I remember hiding it somewhere from my boys, who used it to fry bacon 🙁 .

Sweet Orange Saffron Crêpes Provençal

Crêpes Aromatisées à l’Orange et au Safran – Serves 4 (about 8 crêpes)

Dry ingredients –

• 250gr (1 1/4 cups) flour
• 35gr (2T) sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Zest from 1 organic (bio) orange, being careful to avoid the white bitter pithy part
• Pinch of saffron adds an unexpected interesting flavor and deepens color – I highly recommend you try it but it is optional if you do not have it on hand.

Wet ingredients – (at room temperature to prevent lumping)

• 350gr (1 1/2 cups) milk, preferably skim which allows the crêpes hold together better
• 2 large eggs
• 50gr (1/4 cup) orange juice from 1 orange
• 50gr melted butter (3T)

Prepare batter –

1. In a large bowl , mix together dry ingredients:  Flour, sugar, salt, orange zest, and saffron.
2. Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients:  Milk, eggs, orange juice, and melted butter.
3. Using a whisk, mix well until all lumps have disappeared.  Alternatively, you can add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse for 10 seconds or so.
4. Evaluate the consistency, which should be that of thick cream – fluid and liquid, but not watery.  Proper consistency is the key to making perfect crêpes, and most common mistake beginners make is a batter that is too thick.  If needed, add up to 50gr (1/4 cup) of water to thin.
5. Let plastic film covered crêpe batter rest at least 2 hours in refrigerator (4 hours if using Saffron), or overnight and up to 48 hours.

Here’s a handy chart for converting grams to cups if needed.  More complete conversions can be calculated here.

Frying Crêpes –

A few tips to start…

• Butter and heat your crêpe pan, or sloped sided non-stick skillet on medium to medium-high heat.
• Once the butter is sizzling but not browning (proper temperature is important), pour about 1/4 cup of batter directly into the center of the pan.  I like to just add the batter back to my measuring cup after mixing for easy pouring into the pan since it’s already dirty anyways. Immediately tilt the pan around until the batter spreads out evenly to the edges (or as evenly as you can).  No worries if your crêpe is lopsided, that does nothing to change the taste .
• Cook the crêpe until the surface has dried and the edges begin to lift and brown lightly.

Personally, I skip the crêpe pan (mostly just because I can’t find it again after hiding it from my boys).  Just make sure to spread out the batter thinly by swirling to the edges, and let the edges dry on the first side before flipping.  The second side cooks much faster than the first.  If you notice tiny holes in the crêpe after flipping the first side, that’s because your pan is too hot.

Here’s the “hardest” part – flipping the crêpe.  You have a few choices… 

• Just grab the crêpe by the edge with your fingers and flip it over.
• Use a spatula to flip it over just like you would a pancake – that’s what I usually do.
• Flip it up in the air, which is actually easier than it seems.  Just launch it in the air using a circular motion so it lands back in the skillet and not on your wrist like a funny looking corsage.

For some reason, cooks across the globe quake in their boots at the idea of frying even just basic crêpes.  Why all the fear surrounding such a humble assembly of flour, milk, and egg?  I even searched the internet for a good video, but found what was available either overly complicated or not quite up to standards.  The process is the same for any crêpe recipe, so…for you my faithful GGG followers here’s my quick “how to make crepes” video to ease your mind on the process.

Once you got them all fried up, then get ready to eat!  Try these crêpes with butter and orange marmalade, honey, just a bit of sugar, or marinated strawberries and whipped cream.  Oh so yummy!!!

I like to just lightly sprinkle sugar on mine and then roll them up – that’s how we always did it in our family. Most people though fold them in half, then half again for a triangle shape.  Street vendors fold them around a paper plate for easy eating!

If you want just a classic but tasty crêpe recipe, then try “Girl Gone Gallic Crêpe Recipe“.

Happy (crêpe flipping) Travels,
-Girl Gone Gallic