CANDLEMAS. The day after the crêpe party, discover all our simple or original crêpe recipes: easy-to-make crêpe batter, crêpe Suzette, crêpe cake or even a Farz Buen. To your stoves!
[Mis à jour le 3 février 2023 à 12h41] La Chandeleur happened this Thursday, February 2, but nothing prevents you from prolonging the pleasure of the pancake party all weekend! Of course, you know the basic recipe, and if some insist on respecting the classic and easy pancake recipe, others like to add a bit of fantasy to the tradition by opting for a regional or completely original version. Some recipes are indeed emblematic of our regions of France, like the crêpe Suzette or the tasty Breton pancakes. On the bill for the purists or in the pan, get ready for an explosion of flavors for Candlemas with our recipes below!
Finally, do you know that France is not the only country to appreciate galettes, whether savory or sweet? Japanese okonomiyaki, American pancake, msemen from the Maghreb, English crumpets, Chinese jian bing… Embark on a culinary journey with these pancakes from around the world:
What are the original pancake recipes for Candlemas?
At Candlemas, all ingredients are allowed. Here are more original recipes than the classic, from the crêpe Suzette to the apple crêpe with the Sabayon de Calavados via the crêpe cake, the Breton recipe for Farz Buen or the Austrian recipe for Kaiserschmarrn.
- There Crepe suzette is a traditional crêpe flambée recipe for purists. She mixes orange zest, butter, sugar cubes, orange juice with a cup of Grand Marnier. With the remaining Grand Marnier, it is traditional to flambé the pancakes in front of the amazed guests. Discover the recipe for Grand Marnier crepe or the simple recipe Crepe suzette.
- In Brittany, the Farz Buen is a very thick pancake batter, which mixes in the pan as if it were scrambled eggs, with lots of butter and sugar. Reduce the mixture into small golden and lightly toasted pieces using the spatula. Decorate everything with jam or cocoa powder. Recipe.
- THE crepe cake is the result of a dozen pancakes stacked in multiple floors. Then, it’s up to you to decorate it with the ingredients you prefer. The pancake cake can be dark chocolate, nutella, lemon cream, strawberry coulis, caramel, coconut and even in its salty version, with boiled eggs and tuna, salmon or crab/avocado! Discover all the variations of the crepe cake recipe.
- Austrian specialty, kaiserschmarrn is the favorite pancake recipe of François-Joseph II and Empress Sissi, a real delight for those who usually miss their pancakes! This is a pancake batter lightened by whipped egg whites, which is cut into large irregular pieces, very easy to make. Decorated with raisins soaked or not in rum, it can be accompanied by plum compote or plums. Discover the recipe.
- Looking for even more original pancakes? Sushi of sweet pancakes, rainbow-colored pancakes, small banana pancakes, gluten-free lace pancakes, chaplain or pancake lollipops, lime and coconut pancake, samosas pancakes, intense chocolate pancakes, cone pancakes, bouquet of pancake roses… Our 47 most original pancake recipes.
What traditions in the world around Candlemas?
This pancake festival is not limited to France. It is also celebrated in Switzerland, Luxembourg and even in Mexicowhere she baptized Dia de la candelaria ! Mexicans gather around tamales, a kind of pancake with South American sauce. The feast resembles that of the Magi, since during Candlemas in Mexico, a king cake is eaten, in which is hidden a bean representing the child Jesus. Whoever pulls the bean is responsible for preparing the tamales. This practice was exported by Mexican communities that settled all over the world. It is part of the intangible cultural heritage in France.
In Luxembourg, pancakes are not the only stars of Candlemas. As expected as in France by schoolchildren, Candlemas overlaps somewhat with Halloween in the country. The children, armed with colored lanterns, called Liichtebengelcher and generally made in class, roam the streets in search of a few coins or sweets. In the United States and Canada, Candlemas has given way to “Groundhog Day”, which consists of patiently waiting for a groundhog to come out of its burrow. Like a prediction, depending on the movements of the animal, we could thus know if thewinter will be long.
For Christians, February 2 corresponds to a biblical episode: the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. It is told by the Evangelist Luke: “When the day fixed by the law of Moses for the purification arrived, the parents of Jesus carried him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord according to what is written in the Law: male sex will be consecrated to the Lord”. Traditionally, the Jewish rite asked the parents of a newborn to participate in a ceremony of purification of the mother, forty days after delivery. In the Bible, Mary and Joseph come to the Temple in Jerusalem (which was later destroyed by Rome) at this precise moment and proceed to the sacrifice of two doves, according to the precepts revealed by Moses. A wise old man named Symeon would have entered the Temple and would have recognized the “divine nature” of the newborn child by taking him in his arms. The man would have seen in the child the “light” which would enlighten the pagans. The scene of the presentation at the Temple has served as a subject for many painters: Fra Bartolomeo, Hans Holbein, Philippe de Champaigne, Simon Vouet… A canticle was also born from it, or Song of Symeon, composed from the words that would then have held the prophet: “Now, Lord, you can let me go in peace, you can let me rest… because my eyes have seen the Salvation that you are preparing in the face of the peoples.” It is this sacred fact that will give Christians the meaning of Candlemas, where the light brought to the Earth will be celebrated. For Christians, this clarity recalls the “light” bestowed by Christ and is a symbol of the renewal of faith but also of the purity of the Virgin Mary. Many traditions related to pancakes have emerged, especially in France. One of them involves holding a louis d’or (or more commonly, a coin) in one hand and flipping a pancake by tossing it in the air from your frying pan. An elegant, unfolded fallout of the dough would bode well for household finances. Moreover, the most superstitious will keep the first crepe in a cupboard: there, it would have the gift of attracting luck.
In 2024, Candlemas will occur on Friday, February 2, 2024. Christianity appropriated the date of February 2, at least from the fourth century, before the event was formalized by Pope Gelasius. On this day, Christians celebrate the presentation of Christ in the Temple, 40 days after Christmas, the day of his appearance in the world. During the presentation of the son of Mary, Symeon would have recognized the “divine nature” of Jesus. It is this sacred fact that will give Christians the meaning of Candlemas, where the light brought to the Earth will be celebrated. Believers will then develop the use of lighting candles. Hence the name of Candlemas, which comes from the Latin “Festa candelarum”, “feast of candles“.