- During the week, our family is pretty busy.
You've got two full-time working parents
and two very active children
running a mile a minute, Monday through Friday.
So on Saturday morning, I like to take our time,
slow down, and spoil everybody with my homemade crepes.
So years ago when I married a Frenchman,
I knew that homemade crepes were
going to have to be part of my repertoire.
Now at first glance, they may seem
a little bit intimidating, but they're actually easier
to make than pancakes, believe it or not,
if you follow my foolproof tips.
So step #1, you're going to start with about a cup of flour.
To that, you're going to add your milk.
You want to whisk that up just until the flour
is completely dissolved and combined into the milk.
This is really trick #1.
Lumps in crepes are not a good thing,
so you want to make sure that your batter
is as smooth as possible, and adding the milk
to the flour right away will get you there.
Then you're going to add your sugar and your salt,
give that a good whisk, and then the eggs.
Now the eggs should really be nicely beaten
before adding them to the batter as well,
again, just to get the smoothest batter possible.
Then the final step is some melted butter.
So go ahead and add the melted butter,
give it a good whisk, and your crepe batter is done.
So tip #2 is really the pan,
because a great crepe has a nice thinness
as well as springiness to it,
and it really has to do with how much batter hits that pan
and what the circumference of the pan is.
So I have found over the years that the best pan
is a 12-inch non-stick skillet.
So the circumference is 12 inches,
but the actual bottom is 9 1/2 inches.
The reason why that is great is because when you
take a ladle of batter and pour it into a 9 1/2 inch pan,
that is the perfect size to create
the perfect thinness of a crepe.
The problem with a standard crepe pan
is that they're only 8 1/2 inches, so that extra inch
between 8 1/2 and 9 1/2 makes all the difference
to getting a really nice thin, delicious crepe.
Tip #3 is to use some oil.
Dab a little bit a paper towel,
and then just rub the whole pan throughout,
going up the sides and on the bottom.
I like to use grapeseed oil,
but you also could use canola oil or vegetable oil.
Then you're going to ladle out your batter.
Now here is tip #4.
As soon as that batter hits the pan,
you want to take your pan and start moving it all around
so that all that batter is well distributed
along the bottom of the pan.
Now my next tip, knowing how and when to flip a crepe.
So I think the best time to flip your crepe
is when you don't see anymore wet batter on top.
You'll see the crepe will start to kind of dry out
and all of the edges will become golden brown,
that's when you know it's time.
So you're going to go in with a long metal spatula
and just kind of release the crepe all the way around
the perimeter, just making sure it's nice and loose.
And then when it comes to crepe flipping,
I really don't go for the kind of crepe-flipping theatrics
where you have to flip it upside-down in the air.
That is not necessary.
I think the best way to do it,
and even though it is a little unglamorous
but it does work, is to go in with your hands,
just pick up the crepe, and give it a flip.
It works every time and there is no
crepe-flipping drama involved.
Then you're going to let it cook for at least
another 30 to 40 seconds on the other side,
and then take your crepe and slip it out
of the pan onto a cutting board.
And that's it, your crepe is done.
Now if you want to make a batch of these crepes for a party
or a brunch, you definitely can do that in advance.
All you would do is take a large sheet of aluminum foil,
on top of that you're going to put some paper towel,
and then as your crepes are done,
just line them all up stacked on the paper towel.
Tightly wrap it with the paper towel in the foil,
pop in the fridge, and then when it comes time to serve,
just remove the foil, keep them in the paper towel
so it's all ready to go, how nice is that?
Pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds
to a minute, and you're ready to go, fresh crepes.
Now for the fillings of the crepes.
So at our house, everybody has their own preferred fillings.
So for my girls, they love raspberry jam,
so I'll put about a tablespoon of raspberry jam
inside the crepe, just spreading it all around the inside.
Then you're going to fold it in half,
then in quarters, pop it on the plate,
and dust it with a little powdered sugar.
And if you ask my husband, he sort of goes back and forth
between apricot jam or Nutella.
So usually if it's a special occasion
or a long week, he'll go for the Nutella.
And for me, I really love butter,
lemon juice, and powdered sugar.
I know it's sort of a strange combination,
but I love the flavors of those,
especially in the springtime when we have
lots of lemons growing on our trees.
That's my go-to combo.
Another great thing about this recipe
is they're not just for breakfast.
You could also make this
for a fancy dinner party as a dessert.
You could just make your crepes in advance,
pop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top,
and then drizzle some homemade chocolate sauce.
And that is a very impressive dessert
that can all be basically made in advance,
and your guests will be completely wowed
when you bring that to the table.
So there you have it, my go-to
Saturday morning breakfast that really sets the tone
for a relaxing, slowed-down weekend.
I hope you guys give this one a try
and let me know what you think.
I think you'll find that they're easier than pancakes
and a lot more fun too.
I'll see you next time.
(playful guitar music)