Orange Mille Crepe : Free And Easy Bake-Along #14, Theme : Pancakes And Crepes

It is great to Bake-Along with Lena and Zoe. Otherwise I do not think that I'll be making this Orange Mille Crepe which I have bookmarked to make ever since I bought the magazine back in May 2010. For this round, our theme is "Pancakes and Crepes", perfect to remove one post-it stickers among the many that pops up in my cookbooks and magazines! Don't you love it when one sticker is down? I feel happy when I do that! (wink!!)

The original recipe is called "Orange Flower Water Mille Crepe" but I do not have any Orange Flower Water, so I use some orange extract. According to the magazine, "Mille" means a thousand in French, and mille crepe is a sandwich cake made by stacking many layers of crepes. Between the crepes layers, add a layer of sweetened whipped cream or fruit jam."

Though the original recipe calls for either apricot jam or marmalade, I guess any favourite jam will do. For this, I used my own homemade Mango Jam.

I used a loose bottom cake pan when I stacked up the crepes with the filling. Either refrigerate to be served later or unmould the finished crepe, sliced and serve immediately.

Do you have a jar of forgotten jam that has been sitting in the fridge, completely forgotten? Then this is a great way of using all that jam! You can prepare the crepe up to a day ahead, keep covered in the refrigerator and assemble the next day, that's what I did.

Cut to wedges, dust the top with icing sugar if you like, and serve.

Simply delightful!

To see Lena's, Zoe's and the others yummy pancakes and crepes, click on the links below. For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Apricot Walnut Bars from Bon Appetit Desserts Cookbook, page 595, or you can get the recipe here. Join us in our Bake-Along on 22nd Dec. See you!

Orange Mille Crepe
(adapted from "flavours" magazine, May-June 2010 issue)
For the Sweet Crepe batter
250gm flour
3 eggs
1 pinch salt
50gm caster sugar
500ml milk
50gm butter, melted
2 tablespoons orange flower water (I use 1 teaspoon orange extract)
grated zest of an orange 

To prepare batter : Place the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add eggs, salt and sugar. Add a little bit of milk and whisk until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, whisk and rest batter for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator - preferably overnight. Strain and add melted butter, orange flower water and orange zest, mix well.

To cook crepe : Brush pan with oil and place over low heat. When hot, but not smoking, pour a ladleful of batter into the pan - just enough to coat the base in a thin layer when pan is swirled. Cook for about 30 seconds. Flip the crepe over to cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Set aside. Repeat, stacking up the crepes as you work.

For The Chantilly
200ml whipping cream
40gm icing sugar
200gm apricot jam or marmalade (I use my homemade mango jam)
icing sugar for dusting
edible flowers for decorating (optional)

To prepare chantilly : In a mixing bowl, combine the cream and icing sugar and beat on medium to high speed until thick and stiff. Chill in the refrigerator.

To assemble : Using a spatula or pastry scraper, spread a layer of Chantilly on the first crepe. Top with another crepe and spread with apricot jam or marmalade. Repeat the layers, alternating the Chantilly and fruit jam filling each time to use up the crepes, or until you have a cake with a height of 6 to 8cm. Use a ring mould to help you do this if you like. Dust the top with icing sugar and decorate with edible flowers, if desired.