What to put on your crêpes for Candlemas

Candlemas · 2 February

Spreads, the safe bet

A warm crêpe, a spoonful of spread, fold it over. It is the topping nobody argues about, and the one that disappears fastest.

Hazelnut — roasted, straightforward, not overly sweet. The one that suits everyone, from children to grandparents.

Pistachio Supreme — rarer, greener, it turns an ordinary crêpe into a restaurant dessert.

Dark chocolate and tonka bean — intense cocoa, lifted by a note of bitter almond and vanilla.

It holds up to heat far better than melted chocolate: it coats the crêpe instead of running across the plate.

This is the grown-ups’ topping, the one that comes out once the children are in bed.

A jam lightens the crêpe where a spread weighs it down. On a crêpe that is still warm, it melts just enough.

Lemon and ginger — the acidity and the heat wake up the batter; it is the most surprising of the lot.

Mango, passion fruit and vanilla — effortless travel in a jar, and a bronze medal at the Concours Général Agricole.

On a crêpe, salted butter caramel has no rival: the salt wakes up the sugar and the crêpe gains a length it does not have on its own.

A few seconds of warming makes it runny, and it sets again as it cools.

It is the most requested topping on 2 February.

Candlemas does not stop at sweet. A buckwheat galette, a savoury spread, a fresh cheese, and the meal is done.

Fig and peppers chutney — with fresh goat’s cheese and rocket, it is the pairing that comes back every year.

Aubergine and rosemary spread — the most crowd-pleasing, it goes with an egg and a little ham.

Which topping for sweet crêpes? A spread for indulgence, a jam for freshness, a caramel for length.

Which topping for savoury crêpes? A chutney or a savoury spread, with a fresh cheese and a salad.

When is Candlemas? On 2 February, forty days after Christmas.