Julia Child’s Crêpes Suzette ( No-Flame Recipe)

There was a time when no dinner party was quite finished until something went up in flames at the table. Crêpes Suzette was the star of that tradition: thin, buttery pancakes folded into little triangles, bathed in orange butter, and set alight with a splash of liqueur while the guests held their breath.

Julia Child brought the whole show into American living rooms. Her French Chef episode on Crêpes Suzette aired in August of 1963, and it’s still the recipe so many of us think of when we hear those two words. The story goes that the dish was invented by accident, a young waiter named Henri Charpentier whose sauce caught fire while he served the Prince of Wales. Whether or not that’s the whole truth, it’s a lovely bit of kitchen lore.

This recipe is based on Julia Child’s Crêpes Suzette from The French Chef (PBS, 1963). The instructions are my own rewording, and you can watch the original episode below.

This is Julia’s version at full size, the way she meant it to be made: a delicate sweet crêpe, a generous orange butter, and a grand finale of flames. It takes a little patience and a little courage :-), but it’s far easier than it looks. Put on an apron, dig out your prettiest platter, and let’s make something old-fashioned and wonderful.

What You’ll Need

Makes about 12 crêpes · Prep 30 minutes, plus resting time of 1 hour · Cook 30 minutes

Total Time is about 2 hours.

For the crêpes

• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup water
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange liqueur, rum, or brandy
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for the pan

For the orange butter

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 orange
• About 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from that same orange)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau (buy a mini bottle)

For the flambé

• About ⅓ cup orange liqueur, cognac, or a mix of the two

Equipment: a blender, a 6- to 7-inch crêpe pan or small nonstick skillet, a large skillet or chafing dish for the finish, a small saucepan for warming the liqueur, and a long match or fireplace lighter.

How to Make It

Make the batter

1. Put the milk, water, egg yolks, sugar, liqueur, flour, and melted butter into a blender. Blend for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides once, until the batter is perfectly smooth. It should be about the thickness of heavy cream.
2. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour. Resting lets the flour relax, and you’ll get tender crêpes that don’t tear. If it thickens in the fridge, thin it with a spoonful or two of milk.

Make the orange butter

3. Put the sugar in a bowl and grate the orange zest right into it. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until it’s fragrant and slightly damp.
4. Add the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the orange juice a little at a time, then the liqueur, until the butter is smooth and creamy. Set it aside at room temperature.

Cook the crêpes

5. Heat your crêpe pan over medium-high heat and brush it lightly with melted butter. When a drop of batter sizzles, pour in about 2 to 3 tablespoons and quickly tilt and swirl the pan so the batter coats the bottom in a thin, even layer.
6. Cook for about 1 minute, until the edges are lightly browned and the top looks set. Flip the crêpe with a spatula or your fingertips and cook the second side for 15 to 30 seconds. Slide it onto a plate.
7. Repeat with the rest of the batter, buttering the pan lightly as needed, and stack the crêpes. Your first one is usually a practice crêpe, so don’t worry about it.
8. Melt the orange butter in a large skillet or chafing dish over medium heat until it’s bubbling gently.
9. Take a crêpe and dip it into the butter to coat both sides. Fold it in half, then in half again, into a little triangle. Arrange it at the edge of the pan and repeat with the rest, overlapping them in a circle.
10. When all the crêpes are folded and warmed through, spoon some of the bubbling butter over the top.

No-Flame Finish Method

You’ll still get a glossy, orange-scented sauce, just without the show. Follow steps 1 through 10 as written, then finish like this:

1. Pour the liqueur (about 1/3 cup) into the skillet around the folded crêpes. There’s no need to warm it first.
2. Simmer gently over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, spooning the sauce over the crêpes, until it looks glossy and slightly thickened and the sharp alcohol smell has softened.
3. For a brighter orange flavor, save a tablespoon or two of the liqueur and stir it in off the heat at the end.
4. Serve right away with the sauce spooned over each plate.

The flavor will be a touch less toasty than the flambéed version, but it’s still lovely. For a little tableside drama, bring the skillet to the table while the sauce is steaming and spoon it over the crêpes in front of your guests, with a bit of extra orange zest on top.

Prefer to Finish with the flames?

In my younger days I worked in many a fancy restaurant, and I loved the spectacle of the flames when I prepared this for guests, but at home I prefer the no-flame method above. For this reason I’m not going to promote flames in the kitchen, especially since it’s something I don’t do myself.

Tips for Perfect Crêpes Suzette

• Don’t skip the rest. Batter that has chilled for an hour or more makes noticeably more tender crêpes that are less likely to tear.
• Keep the pan hot but not smoking. If the first crêpe browns too fast, lower the heat a notch. If it’s pale and rubbery, raise it.
• Thin is the goal. Swirl quickly and pour any extra batter back into the bowl. A thin crêpe takes up the orange butter beautifully.
• Bring the butter to room temperature. Soft butter beats up light and creamy, and it melts into a smooth sauce instead of separating.
• Crêpes can be made ahead. Make them an hour or a day before, and do just the butter-and-flames part at the last minute.

Serving Your Crêpes Suzette

Serve them right away, still warm, with plenty of the orange butter spooned over the top. A few orange segments or a curl of orange zest on each plate looks lovely, and a spoonful of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a classic partner.

Making Ahead and Storing

The batter keeps in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a day. Plain cooked crêpes can be stacked with a sheet of wax paper between each and stored in the fridge, well wrapped, for a couple of days, or frozen for longer. The orange butter keeps in the fridge for about a week. Let it soften to room temperature before you use it. Once the crêpes have been dipped in butter and sauce, they’re best eaten right away.