Crespelle are the Italian equivalents of a French crepes recipe. You can prepare the thin pancakes ahead of time and refrigerate between layers of waxed paper. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before using. With this light orange filling and sauce, these Crespelle make for a wonderful desert.

If you really want to impress your dinner guests, soak a sugar cube in an orange liqueur such as Gran Marnier and right before serving, place the cube on top of the crespelle and light it for a moment of “flambè”.

Crespelle all’Arancio (Desert crepes with Orange Sauce)

Ingredients:
crespelle (recipe below or use your favorite desert crepe recipe)
1/3 (3oz) cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
1/4 teaspoons salt
1+1/4 (10oz) cups milk
1 beaten egg
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 cup (8oz) orange juice
1/3 (3oz) cup raisins
1/4 (2oz) cup sugar
Whipped cream or ice cream (if desired)

Crepes Recipe Preparation:

For filling:
Combine 1/3 cup sugar, flour, 1/2 tsp orange peel and salt. Blend in milk. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 min. more. Gradually stir half of the hot mixture into beaten egg and then return all to remaining hot mixture. Cook and stir just till bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla; cover surface with clear plastic wrap. Let cool completely without stirring.

For sauce:
Combine 1/2 tsp orange peel, orange juice, raisins and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to boiling. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare for the crespelle:
Spread about 1 Tbs of the filling over each crepe and roll up or fold in half and then in half again. Place (seam side down if rolled) in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour sauce over. Cover and bake in 375°F oven about 15 min. Serve warm with a dallop of whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Crespelle:
Combine 1 cup flour, 1+1/2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs sugar, 1 Tbs cooking oil and 1/8 tsp salt. Beat with rotary beater till blended. Heat a lightly greased 6-inch skillet. Remove from heat. Spoon in 2 Tbs of batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread the batter evenly. Return to heat and brown on one side. Invert pan over paper toweling to remove Crespelle. Repeat to make 16-18, greasing skillet as needed.