The Sugar Shack Perfect Crêpes with Sucre à la Crème

Sucre à la crème is a French Canadian classic used as a topping for desserts. It has a similar taste and richness as a carmel sauce, without all the fuss! It really just consists of placing everything in a pot and gently letting it cook to develop a decadent texture and taste. Make the sauce and crêpe batter ahead of time so you’re ready to make this sweet dessert on a whim!

Ingredients

For the Crêpes

95 gm / ¾ cup All-purpose flour
1 gm / ½ tsp Salt
185 ml / ¾ cup Milk
2 large Eggs
30 gm / 2 tbsp Brown sugar
15 ml / 1 tbsp Vanilla extract

For the Sucre a la Crème

120 g / 1/2 cup Mirage margarine
120 g / 1 cup Dark brown sugar
250 ml / 1 cup 35% Cream
5 ml / 1 tsp Vanilla extract

For the Garnish

120 g / 1/2 cup Pecans, toasted
Vanilla ice cream
Additional Mirage Margarine for cooking and brushing

Directions

1. Start by making the Sucre a la crème. In a deep sauce pot, combine the Mirage margarine, dark brown sugar and cream. Put the pot on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.



2. Once the thick syrup begins to simmer, turn the temperature down to medium and allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. You want the sauce to be thick, and the sugar dissolved. While the sauce is simmering do not leave it alone for too long, as it needs regular stirring to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn. If you notice it is getting dark on the bottom of the pot, turn your temperature down and stir more frequently.



3. Once the sauce is thick and coats a spoon nicely, turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and pass the sauce through a fine strainer to remove any large sugar crystals that may have formed.
4. At this point the sauce is ready to serve, or be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, simply place it in the microwave and slowly heat in 30 second increments, stirring each time.
5. For the crêpes, use a blender to combine the all-purpose flour, salt, milk 2 eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Blend until everything is smooth.
6. Remove the batter and let it rest, covered for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator. The batter will keep for up to 3 days, and only improves with age.
7. When you’re ready to make the crêpes, remove the batter and allow it to come up to room temperature, approximately 30 minutes.
8. Warm a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the pan with Mirage margarine.
9. Using a ladle or measuring cup, slowly pour in approximately ⅓ cup of batter into the frying pan, swirling to coat as much of the pan as possible. Avoid leaving holes in the batter, and fill in any major holes with a little more batter.



10. Once the batter looks wet but not runny, flip over the crêpe with a long offset spatula and cook the other side. Cooking will take 30 seconds or less per side, so don’t walk away from these paper thin pastries. If you notice the crêpes are colouring too quickly, turn the heat down




11. Remove the crêpe from the frying pan, placing it onto a large plate. Brush the top with a little Mirage margarine to prevent crêpes from sticking to each other.
12. Continue making the crêpes until all the batter is used. Be sure to cover the completed crêpes with a towel to keep them from drying out.
13. Roll the crêpes into tight little cigar shapes and place them on a plate. Add a scoop of ice cream, a healthy drizzle of the sucre a la crème and a handful of toasted pecans. You’re ready to serve a sweet treat that can be passed off as breakfast or dessert.

Notes

• Your first crêpe or two won’t be perfect. As you go adjust your heat as needed to achieve the perfectly golden crêpe
• If you want crêpes ready to go at any time, make all the crêpes at once. Before the filling step, place pieces of parchment between them all and place them on a plate in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. Pull them as needed and allow them to thaw on the counter. Be sure to re-warm them lightly on the stove in your non-stick frying pan.
• Sucre a la crème is the perfect topping for pancakes, ice cream, ore even a bowl of fruit and yogurt. Try making a double batch and keeping it in a glass jar, so you can put it on top of your next dessert.