We usually choose to spend New Year’s Eve with several close friends in a rather low-key manner. An early dinner in our favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant followed by a movie without having to stand in line leaves us relaxed to welcome the new year in a festive and frivolous mood.
This year gives us the opportunity to include Shabbat in our celebration. What could be more elegant than a gorgeously rich array of desserts and iced champagne in the comfort and coziness of one’s own dining room?
Picture a table covered with confections of unusual crêpes. This is a dessert buffet that dreams are made of, for the guests as well as the hostess, as most of the preparation can be done ahead.
Pull out all the stops and use your best china dessert plates and crystal flutes. Have the champagne chilled and an urn of coffee ready to be poured. This will truly be a memorably sweet ending to 2010.
Basic Dessert Crêpes
Makes about 16 crêpes
11⁄2 cups flour
3⁄4 cup milk
3⁄4 cup water
3 eggs
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1⁄4 cup melted butter
In blender or food processor combine all ingredients except butter until smooth. Remove to bowl and whisk in melted butter. Let stand at room temperature at least one hour before using.
Brush a 7-inch pan, preferably nonstick, with a bit of butter or oil and heat until hot. Ladle about 2 Tbs. of crêpe batter into pan and swirl until surface is coated with batter. Cook 12 minutes until lightly browned, lift with fingers and cook briefly on other side. Remove to plate and continue until batter is used up, brushing pan with butter after every 3 crêpes. Stack crêpes with a piece of wax paper in between each and place on flat plate. Cover and refrigerate or freeze. Bring to room temperature before filling.
Chocolate Crêpes with Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Makes 8 crêpes
Chocolate sauce:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbs. instant coffee
1⁄4 cup water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. butter
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
8 chocolate crêpes
1 quart rum raisin ice cream
In medium saucepan melt chocolate with coffee, water, sugar, butter and cream. This sauce may be made ahead and stored in covered jar in refrigerator.
Fill each crêpe with about 5 Tbs. softened ice cream. Roll them and store covered in freezer until serving time. To assemble, heat chocolate sauce and spoon over crêpes.
Apricot, Wine and Honey Crêpe Torte
Serves 6
1 lb. dried apricots
2 cups red wine
6 Tbs. honey
12 basic dessert crêpes
2 egg whites
5 Tbs. powdered sugar
Cook apricots, wine and honey on low heat about 1 hour. Let cool and purée. Set aside. Butter a deep glass or porcelain pie dish. Lay a crêpe on bottom of dish and spread with apricot purée. Continue alternating crêpes and purée until you have used up all the crêpes and purée. The last crêpe should not have purée on top. May be made ahead and refrigerated at this point.
Just before serving, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and beat until stiff. Spread meringue on top of crêpes and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until brown, about 12 minutes.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].