Pancake Day

Crêpes Suzettes flambées

Today was pancake day, and as usual Julie insisted that we celebrate it in the traditional way after dinner. I always feel a bit underwhelmed by the idea of pancakes, until I actually start eating them, when I realise how delicious they are. Then I forget again until next year. The taste of home made pancakes does remind me of when I was younger as we always did the pancake thing at home.

Back then it was just lemon and sugar as the toppings. Now, we get out every jam and preserve we can find along with some fruit and whatever else seems good. It was a particularly good spread this year as we had some nutella, some Swedish drottningsylt (blueberry and raspberry jam), bananas, whipped cream and various other goodies.

Inspired by our various trips to France I decided to try making a Crepe Suzette which turned out really well with a butter and orange sauce and the spectacle of flambee! Julie made the pancakes and I did the sauce and pyrotechnics. It all passed off safely you’ll be happy to hear.

i do it as follows: melt some butter in a frying pan then add orange juice, grated orange zest, and a bit of sugar. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the previously cooked pancakes, fold into quarters and baste with the sauce. Add the liqueur of your choice (in this case, Armagnac) and ignite either with a match or the flash way by tilting the liquid towards the hob flame. Wait until it goes out or extinguish with the flat of a spatula, depending on how much booze you want left in the dessert. Then turn out on to the plate, pouring the sauce over.

Of course, you could make pancakes any time. But there is something quite fun about only having certain things at certain times to make them special. Roll on the hot cross buns I say!