My love for crepes began in Paris, when I was there on vacation in 2008. We were lucky enough to be staying just two blocks from the Eiffel Tower, where I sat for each of the three nights we had in Paris waiting for the lights to turn on, and ate my crepes.
I ate them in cafes, from crepe-wagons, and anywhere else I could get my hands on them. I liked the chocolate ones, but to be honest, the plain sugar ones were my favourite.
My aunt has a crepe maker, a small paddle like pan that you plug in; when it’s hot, you dip it in the batter and magically your crepe is made. I’ve looked them up online, but have never seen them in a store.
I made due with my regular frying pan for months, so I’m here to say you do not need a fancy pan. I did pick up a crepe pan at the St. Lawrence market last month, it was $15.00, so that’s what I use now. They do have them at Williams and Sonoma for a reasonable price, and a kit is available too.
The key is the batter, and in my opinion, the spatula. My advice- use a wooden spatula/flipper. It won’t scrape your pan, and my silicone one gave me nothing but trouble.
(I even changed my wooden spatula half way through this batch)
Here’s the recipe I use for my dessert crepes:
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cup flour (I use AP)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- water as needed
1. Add flour to your mixing bowl and make a well. Add salt, eggs, milk and sugar into the well.
2. Stir to mix, gradually pulling in the flour.
3. Strain, if desired. (I desire)
4. Stir in melted butter.
5. LET REST! 1-2 hours. I cover mine and put it in the fridge for about 1.5 hours, and then let it rest at room temp for the last 30 minutes or so.
6. Thin out the batter with water. This is CRUCIAL! Add water slowly, about 2-3 tbsp at a time. You want the batter to be thinned out to the consistency of light cream. (I equate it to 2% milk consistency…try not to get it to be like skim milk)
7. Heat pan. I heat my pan on high, then turn it down to medium; the crepes cook very quickly.
8. If you need to- grease your pan- my frying pan was coated and I don’t even use it in my crepe pan even though it’s suggested
9. Make sure you’re pan is HOT! Ladle batter into pan- I use a scant 1/4 cup of batter- this may depend on the size of pan you have- work fast and tip the pan to coat the entire surface with the batter.
11. Flip your crepe when the edges start to lift off the pan and bubbles form (like when making pancakes). When the edges lift up, it’s really easy to slide your wooden spatula under the crepe, push the edge of the spatula to the middle of the crepe, and you can flip the whole thing over in one turn quite easily.
10. Your first crepe will be a write-off. I promise. You will flip it too early, or your pan won’t be hot enough, or your batter too thick. It happens. Regroup, add more water to the batter if you have too, and move on.
I love my crepes with fresh strawberries; I typically heat them with a tiny bit of sugar and water to make a hot sweet strawberry mess. I’ve also made them with white peaches and nectarines, just as delicious. Plain crepes are delicious, but ice cream, whipped cream or some melted chocolate on top makes them extra special!
Eh voila!
The crepes freeze really well, they’re great to keep on hand. I wrap them in plastic wrap, then in a big freezer bag and keep them flat in the freezer. They don’t take long to thaw, so you can whip up dessert in no time!
Don’t be intimidated by making crepes. The truth is, I can’t make pancakes to save my life! but I’m a pro at making crepes. Go figure!
Bon Appétit!
Ciao for now,
*I’m a fan of dessert crepes, not meal crepes, so if you want to make these for dinner filled with veggies, meat and cheese, omit the sugar in the recipe.
