Crepes are sunshine: round, yellow, and hot. On a dreary February day, think of the sun and eat crepes! My first taste of a crepe au Grand Marnier was taught to me by an eight-year-old French boy, who declared them to be his favorite! Crepes are street food in Paris and the kiosks always have a bottle of Grand Marnier on hand to make this delicious concoction.

Crepe pans are small (about 7-9 inches in diameter) with very low sides so that you can easily turn over the crepes. French crepe pans are made of carbon steel, which (after seasoning with oil like cast iron) are naturally nonstick. A well-seasoned pan needs no extra oil for cooking. To clean, simply wipe out the pan.

To make a thin crepe, pour a quarter-cup of batter in the pan and swirl immediately to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour out any extra batter. Cook until golden brown, turn over, and then briefly cook the other side.

Crepes au Grand Marnier

for the crepe batter:

• 3 eggs 
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted 
• Zest of one lemon 
• 1 cup milk 
• 14 tablespoons flour (1 cup less 2 tablespoons) 
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• ½ teaspoon salt 

Mix together all of the ingredients. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream (if not, add a little more flour or a little more milk). Let the batter rest for at least an hour (and up to overnight). In a medium-hot crepe pan, drop 3-4 tablespoons of batter and swirl the skillet to coat. When browned, turn the crepe over to the other side and cook for another minute. Cool.

For the sauce:

Melt a tablespoon of butter and add a tablespoon of sugar. Add a crepe, fold in half and then fold again. Pour in 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, tilt the pan to light on a gas stove, and shake the pan until the flames die down. Serve immediately.