Recipe: Crêpes

My friend Corrine is a fantastic cook. That's why when she said she would teach a class on crêpes, I signed right up. I've always thought these anorexic pancakes would be too difficult to make, preferring instead to buy them from cute little roadside kiosks in Europe and hippie hang-outs in San Francisco. But let's be honest. How often do I make it to those places when the crêpe mood strikes? Once every five or ten years--if I'm lucky. So you can see why it was necessary to channel my inner French woman and learn how to make these things in my own kitchen. (Admittedly, my inner French woman mostly wants to lounge around eating bon bons by the sea, looking très chic in a billowy sundress,a big floppy hat, and huge Audrey Hepburn sunglasses. And her name is Monique. Or Chloe. Or Brigitte.) 

Corinne gave us recipes for a number of different crêpes, but I prefer Rich Dessert Crepe Batter, because I love desserts, and if they're described as "rich" and not "low fat," which is never as good, it's all the better. Despite the name indicating that these should be eaten at the end of the meal, in our house they ARE the meal.

4 eggs

¼ tsp salt

2 cups flour

2-3 Tablespoons sugar

2 cups milk

½ cup melted butter

1 ½ tsp vanilla

In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs and salt. Gradually add flour alternately with milk, beating with mixer or whisk until smooth. Beat in melted butter. 

OR, you could take the easier route (my prefferred method) and throw it all in the blender for one minute. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and blend for another 15 seconds or till smooth.

To cook, use a ⅓ cup measuring cup for a large 9-inch crêpe pan and ¼ cup measuring cup for a small 8.5-inch pan.

Cook on medium heat for about 1 minute until the batter no longer looks shiny and turn and cook for 20 seconds on the other side. The crêpes should be golden brown. As my children say, they will look and smell 'licious.

 

Topping Ideas

Corrine says that you can fill dessert crêpes with any fruit or pudding, custard or whipped cream or crème fraîche. They're also yummy with apricot or raspberry jam, folded and topped with powdered sugar. As an even more special treat, she recommends fresh peaches in season, topped with crème fraîche.  We like our crêpes smothered in hazlenut spread with sliced bananas, whipped cream and strawberries. If you really want to get a few more cavities, you can top the whole thing with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, preferably the real stuff, but in a pinch, the Hershey's variety will suffice. However, Brigitte would not approve. She would purse her lipsticked lips and tell me that nothing but Valrhona would do. But Brigitte lives in Paris, with only a yappy little dog to take care of. I, on the other hand, live with a bunch of boys in Suburbia, land of high-fructose corn syrup and those mysterious "natural flavorings" listed on the back of plastic bottles made in China. So anything goes.  

  

  

Comments

[Julie]

I loved your recipe! I used the blender method. Gary and I had them again today with bananas and whipped cream- oh so yummy!

[Laura]

Yummy. Can't wait to find an excuse to try them.

[MaryB]

I am so unsophisticated~~I don't have a "crepe pan." Can I use a frying pan? I love crepes...or as the kids like to call them, creeps! :p

[shelby]

Oh, we LOVE crepes at our house. My dad is an expert crepe maker (okay, I may be biased) but last time he was in town, we made him make them for dinner one night. mmmm, mmmm, mmmm! My favorite is fresh squeezed lemon juice spritzed on and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I am eager to try your friends recipe!

[Hillary]

We love Crepes at our house too. Ryan and his brother both went on missions to different parts of France, so one New years eve we had a "crepe off" They both made us crepes and we all ate ourselves sick. I was surprised how similar but different the two recipes and styles were from the different areas in France. We decided that Ryan's was the dessert Crepe and his brothers were the savory ones. They were both delish!