Crêpes Suzette

This is one of my favourite French desserts and really easy to make. Make the crêpes the day before you need them and simply reheat them in the orange-caramel-syrup before serving.

Crêpes:
750ml cake flour
2,5ml baking powder
5ml salt
500ml milk
250ml water
125ml sunflower oil
4 eggs

Orange sauce:
45ml caster sugar
250ml orange juice
the zest of one orange
5ml lemon juice
15ml brandy
50g butter, cubed

For the crêpes:
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment.
Whisk the milk, water, oil and eggs together in a separate wide-mouthed jug.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and add the liquid ingredients in a very thin stream. Keep whisking and pouring until all the liquid has been added.
Turn the mixer on to a higher speed and whisk for at least two minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 1 hour.
Heat a crêpe pan/frying pan until hot. Add a small amount of vegetable oil and swirl it around the pan. Pour the oil out and put the pan back onto a medium-high heat.
Spoon a ladle-full of the batter into the pan and cook until small holes appear over the entire surface of the crêpe.
Flip the crêpe and cook for 1 minute on the other side.
Slide the cooked crêpe onto a plate and continue baking the rest.

For the orange sauce:
Tip the caster sugar into a non-stick frying pan on medium to low heat.
Allow the sugar to melt without stirring it. You want the sugar to turn a caramel colour without burning it – watch it like a hawk and do not walk away from it!
Take the pan from the heat when the sugar is brown enough and add the orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice and brandy.
Return the pan to a very low heat. Do not panic if the sugar has seized, continue heating over a low heat and stir lightly until the sugar has dissolved completely.
Now start adding the butter, one or two cubes at a time while stirring constantly. Keep going until you have incorporated all the butter.
Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and has a lovely gloss to it.

Fold each crêpe into half, and then fold it again so that you have a more-or-less triangular shape.
Gently slide the folded crêpe into the pan and spoon the sauce over it.
Serve immediately.