SCRIPPELLE RIBBONS w/APRICOT ORANGE SAUCE

By BobD

Ingredients

• FINOCCHI di SCRIPPELLE all'ARANCIO
• to to dessert is so good-and so much fun to prepare and serve-I hope you'll be persuaded to make and keep scrippelle (crêpes) on hand all the time, as they do in the kitchens of Abruzzo.
• Here, you slice the scrippelle into into strips (they look like fresh fettuccine!) and toss them in a hot caramel, apricot, and citrus sauce that you've got bubbling in a skillet.
• 1 1 1 batch of scrippelle , cooked and cooled
• 1 1 1 cup sugar
• 2 2 2 tablespoon soft butter
• 1 1 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1 2 1 lemon, freshly squeezed (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 1/4 1 orange, freshly squeezed (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 1 to cup heavy cream, chilled, whipped to soft peaks, for garnish
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, for garnish

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from lidiasitaly.com

Preparation

Step 1

You will need a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or sauté pan, 10-inch diameter or wider.

To make the ribbons:

Stack three or four cooled scrippelle evenly, and roll them up into a cylinder, about the size of a cigar. With a sharp knife, slice the roll crosswise every 2/3 inch (for thin strips like tagliatelle) or every inch (for wider strips, like fettuccine). Separate and unfurl the cut pieces into ribbons. Continue to slice up all the scrippelle this way.

Put the sugar in the skillet, pour 1/3 cup water over it, and shake the pan a bit to spread out the moistened sugar. Set the skillet over medium-high heat, and, without stirring, let the sugar dissolve into a syrup and come to a boil. Don't stir or shake the pan as it bubbles away, evaporating all the water and nearing the temperature of caramelization-this can take 10 minutes or more. Have the remaining sauce ingredients (butter, apricot preserves, and citrus juices) near at hand, as well as a long wooden spoon for stirring, and thick kitchen towels for holding the pan.

When the syrup bubbles become noticeably thicker, watch closely for it to take on color, usually near the edge of the skillet. At the first signs of darkening, lower the heat and swirl the syrup, so it caramelizes evenly to a deep-golden color. Still over low heat, drop in the butter and the apricot preserves, and stir steadily as they melt into the caramel. Pour in the lemon and orange juices, stirring carefully, because the caramel will bubble and splatter.

Raise the heat, and bring the sauce back to a boil, stirring steadily. Adjust the heat to keep it at a simmer, and drop in the scrippelle ribbons. Toss and tumble the strips with tongs or long-handled utensils, for a minute or more, until they're heated through and glazed all over with the caramel sauce.

Turn off the heat, lift out one serving of ribbons, and drop it onto a dessert plate-giving the ribbons twist as you release them to make a pretty nestlike mound. Top each serving with a big spoonful of whipped cream and a scattering of pine nuts. Drizzle any sauce left in the skillet over and around the ribbons, and serve right away.

For the Scrippelle:

4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water, cold, plus 2 tablespoons
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter, soft

Start by making the scripelle batter with an electric mixer. Put the eggs and salt in the mixer bowl, and whisk on medium speed until foamy. Lower the speed, mix in the water, then stop and sift the flour on top. Whisk on low just until smooth. You should have about 3 cups of batter.

Brush a 9-inch crêpe pan with a thin coating of butter. Set over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, then quickly tilt and swirl the pan so the batter coats the bottom. Let cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the bottom is lightly browned all over. Flip with a spatula, and cook another 30 seconds or so, until that side is lightly browned. Flip the crespella on to a dinner plate.

Cook all the crespelle in the same way, stacking them on the plate when finished. Brush the pan with butter if it becomes dry or the scripelle are sticking. If you won't be using the scripelle right away, wrap them in plastic wrap when cool, so they don't dry out. Refrigerate, well wrapped, to use the next day (or freeze).