Crêpes Suzette is a dramatic dessert consisting of a thin pancake base generously drizzled with caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice, and orange zest. It is liberally topped with Curaçao liqueur or Grand Marnier and lit upon serving, so that the creation is set “aflame” or, as the French put it, “flambé.”
The First Crêpe Suzette
Legend has it that this dish was accidentally created by an assistant waiter named Henri Charpentier, who was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). In his memoirs he says that the cordials on the table accidentally caught fire along with the dessert. Upon tasting the dessert, however, Henri decided it tasted delicious and he served it to the prince. The dessert would have been named Crêpes Princesse for the prince but, in a fit of chivalry, the prince asked that the name be changed to Crêpes Suzette in honor of a pretty guest in his party. [Read more…]