Sweet blintz with orange beer syrup

SERVES 6

CREPES

150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) milk

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) Belgian ale

2 free-range eggs

a pinch of sea salt

1–2 teaspoons unsalted butter, for pan-frying

ORANGE BEER SYRUP

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) orange juice

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) mandarin juice

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) La Chouffe or Hoegaarden Grand Cru

3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

FILLING

350 g (12 oz/1½ cups) ricotta cheese

200 g (7 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 free-range egg yolks

60 g (2¼ oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 teaspoons grated mandarin zest

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

TO FINISH

2 heaped tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Whisk all the crepe ingredients (except the butter) in a bowl until smooth. Set aside to rest while you make the syrup and filling.

To make the orange beer syrup, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Set aside and keep warm.

Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl using electric beaters until well combined.

Heat a little butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. When the butter foams, add a ladleful of the crepe mixture, swirling it around the pan to give a 12–14 cm (4½–5½ inch) diameter. You want the crepes to be quite thin, so add a little more milk and beer to the batter if you need to. Cook until little bubbles appear on the top, then use a spatula to flip the crepe over. Cook the other side, then remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat to make 12 crepes.

Lay a crepe out on the bench and spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle. Fold the crepe into a square parcel by folding each side over the filling, then patting the crepe down so it flattens a little. Place on the baking tray, folded side down, and repeat until all the crepes are used up. Finish the crepes by brushing the tops with the melted butter and sprinkling with the caster sugar. Bake for 15 minutes to heat the crepes through and to glaze them with the butter–sugar coating.

Remove the crepes from the oven, place two crepes on each plate and pour some syrup over them. Enjoy.

Beer Notes

For the crepes, try La Chouffe or Hoegaarden Grand Cru – lovely big Belgian ales – or the Biere de Garde from the Bridge Road Brewers Chevalier range, or Prickly Moses Reserve De Otway