Ricotta Filled Crepes With Berry Sauce

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter and brandy, if using, until blended. Add to the flour all at once and gently stir with the whisk until blended. Let stand for at least 1 hour at room temperature. (The batter can be refrigerated, covered, overnight; stir to blend before using.)

Make berry sauce: In a small saucepan combine water and cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the strawberries or raspberries. Heat, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in orange liqueur, if desired. Set aside.

Make ricotta filling: In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, zest, nutmeg, and optional candied orange rind. Set aside.

Heat a 6 or 7-inch heavy nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Brush with a thin film of vegetable oil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle about 3 tablespoons batter (or a scant 1/4 cup measure) into the hot pan and quickly tilt to coat the pan and make a thin pancake.

Cook the crepe until the edges begin to curl and the underside is golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Loosen the edges of the crepe with a thin flexible spatula or a heatproof rubber spatula and gently turn. Cook the underside until lightly spotted with color, about 30 seconds. Turn the crepe out onto a wire rack.

Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring it occasionally. As the crepes are made, transfer them from the rack to a pie plate. Cover lightly with a piece of foil and keep warm in an oven set at the lowest temperature. Fill with the ricotta mixture and drizzle with the berry sauce.

The crepes can be cooled, wrapped in foil and refrigerated for a few days before reheating in a warm oven. They can also be frozen for at least 1 month. Cool, stack them on top of one another and wrap tightly in foil and then in a freezer bag. The crepes need no paper between them; they will not stick together when frozen or refrigerated. They thaw at room temperature in about 1 hour, and can be reheated right in the foil without unwrapping.

Yield: 15 crepes Notes: Recipe courtesy of Marie Simmons, "Pancakes A to Z"