We’ve been eating these “fancy pancakes” for dessert for decades. My mom made these for every bridge club and garden club party that she hosted. We’ve carried on the tradition and serves these “fancy” pancakes at every celebration. They are so easy and simple and one of the first dishes I learned to cook. I’m sure our future generations will learn to make our “fancy pancakes” and continue to pass it on for future generations!
Ingredients:
Crepes:
• 3 eggs
• Pinch salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Butter or cooking spray for skillet
Filling:
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ½ stick butter softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Sauce:
• 1 jar Smucker’s Apricot preserves
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons orange zest
• 2 tablespoons butter
Slivered almonds
Directions:
For crepes:
In a blender, mix eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, milk, flour and melted butter.
Butter or spray a skillet and heat. Make very thin pancakes by pouring ¼ cup batter and swirl to coat bottom of skillet evenly. When sides of crepe are set, turn over and brown other side. Stack on a plate.
For the filling, blend together cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth.
Butter or spray a 9 x 11 casserole dish. Fill each pancake/crepe with about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling. Roll crepes and place in bottom of casserole dish.
For the sauce, in a saucepan heat Smucker’s Apricot preserves, orange and lemon juice, lemon zest and butter until heated. Don’t boil! Pour over crepes in casserole dish.
Top with slivered almonds.
Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until bubbly.
(NOTE: If you want to be really fancy with this recipe, you can flambé it with either brandy or Grand Marnier. Keep the filled crepes in a copper skillet. Pour the sauce over the top and bake until bubbly. Then pour ¼ cup of the liquor on top and light! Take to the table to serve with a dramatic flair!)
