At first glance, this recipe for Custard Cheese Crepes looks very complicated and time consuming. However, you can make the sauce and the crepes up to three days ahead of time, and the filling and assembly of this dessert is a snap. This is a very elegant dessert that will wow your friends and family, and they will beg you for the recipe.

Don’t be discouraged if you’ve never made crepes and they break when you first start out. Keep going and you’ll soon get the hang of it. The key is to use a well greased, hot pan, and to not overcook the crepes.

Here is the recipe:

For the Apricot Sauce:

1 cup sugar
4 cups water
1 cup firmly packed dried apricots (about 6 ounces)
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a dry heavy saucepan cook the sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork until melted and then swirling pan, until sugar is a golden caramel. Remove the pan from heat and carefully add 3 cups water down side of pan (it will bubble up and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until the caramel is dissolved.
Add apricots and simmer, covered, until soft, about 10 minutes. Cool mixture 10 minutes and in a blender purée with remaining 1 cup water and vanilla until very smooth. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce to warm.

Add apricots and simmer, covered, for about ten minutes. Cool the mixture for at least 10 minutes. Then, in a blender purée the apricot sauce with the remaining 1 cup water and vanilla until very smooth. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Warm up the sauce before serving.

For the crepe filling:

1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1 cup boiling-hot water
two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a small bowl, place the currants or raisins in boiling hot water for about fifteen minutes, and then drain well. Pat the dried fruit dry between paper towels. In a food processor or in a bowl with an electric mixer blend together the cream cheese, jam, yolks, zest, and vanilla. In an electric mixture, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar to the egg whites and beat until the egg whites holds stiff peaks. Fold cheese mixture into the egg whites gently but thoroughly and then fold in the currants.

To make the crepes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups club soda or seltzer (you’ll want to open a new bottle)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and club soda and add this to the flour mixture in a stream, whisking. Whisk the batter until smooth. Chill the mixture covered for at least one hour. (use the mixture within a few hours)
Stir the batter well.

Heat a non-stick skillet measuring about 8 inches in diameter over moderate heat until hot. Brush the skillet lightly with melted butter. Remove the skillet from heat. Fill a 1/4-cup measure about three fourths full with batter and pour into the skillet, quickly tilting the skillet to cover the entire pan with batter.

Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the crepe looks golden, about 15 to 30 seconds. Flip the crepe over and cook the underside for another 15 seconds or more. Make more crêpes in same manner with remaining batter, brushing skillet lightly with butter for each and stacking cooked crêpes on another kitchen towel as they cool. The crêpes can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, stacked and wrapped well in plastic wrap.

Makes about 25 crêpes.

To assemble the crepes:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. and lightly butter a 14-inch-long oval gratin dish or another shallow baking dish. Working with 1 crêpe at a time, spread 2 generous tablespoons of the cheese filling on each crêpe, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around, and roll up crêpes jelly-roll fashion. With a sharp knife cut crêpes on a diagonal in half and arrange, overlapping slightly, in layers in your baking dish.

The crêpes may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring crêpes to at room temperature before proceeding.
In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and milk and pour over crêpes, making sure that the custard seeps between layers. Bake the crêpes in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until puffed and custard is set, and cool to warm.

For a nice presentation, dust the crepes with some confectioners sugar, and serve with the warm apricot sauce.

Serves 12.