If you've ever been anywhere French-speaking, you've probably eaten a crepe. They are thin, eggy, delicious pancakes which can be made savory or sweet, and enjoyed at any time of day as a meal or a light snack. They are, in fact, one of my favorite things to eat and have been since childhood. They're classic French comfort food favorite, and because I grew up eating them, I was determined to find a way to make them, and make them perfectly, for our kid too. Mais bien sur! (What actually happened was that our daughter's elementary school decided to throw a Crepe Day today, and I was broken-hearted at the thought of all the kids with food allergies not being able to enjoy this delicious, exciting day with their peers, so I devised this recipe, and then spent part the better part of the last several hours making and serving up said crepes to hundreds of ravenous kids during their recess, with some other crazy parents. The real struggle was actually that the kids could chose from several toppings. Not the best idea when you are just two or three people serving an entire elementary school, for the record.) This recipe came out so well, and is so awesomely fool-proof, fast, and easy, that I decided it would be a shame not to share it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we will, now that we have it:
Ingredients: (makes 12 medium or 6 very large crepes)
To Prepare:
Simply mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl with a whisk or electric beater, until creamy and combined, with no visible lumps. (This batter is soupy, unlike standard American pancakes. If for some reason it's not soupy, add a splash more milk).
To make the crepes, you'll need a wide, non-stick frying pan, lightly coated with oil (or butter). The pan must be very hot, but not so hot that your oil is smoking.
Pour one soup-ladle or ice-cream scoop worth of batter into the middle of the hot pan, pick the pan up and swirl it around so that the batter disperses and spreads quickly into a larger circle. Put the pan down on the stove, keeping your burner at medium to medium-low heat. Don't flip the crepe right away. Let it cook for about a two minutes , until you can easily lift the edge of the crepe off the bottom of the pan, without resistance, to flip it.
Flip it just once, and let it cook another one and a half to two minutes. You can peak underneath after a minute to see how quickly the back side is browning. (This side cooks faster than the first, beware!)
Remove the crepe from pan and set on a plate, so you can keep making the rest. (Or keep them in a warm oven, if you prefer.)
To avoid crepes sticking together, place a piece of parchment paper in between each one, or spread with butter or vegan soy margarine.
To serve, simply add toppings of choice, and roll up as a finger food, or serve flat as pictured above with a knife and fork.
For sweet crepes, some popular toppings or fillings are:
-Sugar with a squeeze of lemon
-Chocolate spread, with or without fruit such as strawberries or banana slices
-Fresh fruit with sugar (and lemon)
-Ice cream with chocolate sauce
For savory crepes the most popular fillings are ham or turkey slices with shredded cheese such as Brie, Mozzarella or Gruyere. Sometimes, people add a fried egg (not us, of course).
-Shredded roasted chicken, tomatoes, and salad also work nicely. Olives add a delicious salty bite, too.
Bon appetit, mes amis!
Ingredients: (makes 12 medium or 6 very large crepes)
- 2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour (you can use white, whole wheat, or a mix or white and spelt flours if you're making savory crepes, to be super authentic. Those are actually called galettes, and they are perfect for quick dinners.)
- 2 1/2 cups of soy milk (or whatever milk or milk substitute you prefer)
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil (We use canola, mostly. If you're non-vegan, you can use butter).
- For savory crepes, add a teaspoon of salt to the batter. For sweet crepes, skip the salt and add a tablespoon of confectioner's sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
To Prepare:
Simply mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl with a whisk or electric beater, until creamy and combined, with no visible lumps. (This batter is soupy, unlike standard American pancakes. If for some reason it's not soupy, add a splash more milk).
To make the crepes, you'll need a wide, non-stick frying pan, lightly coated with oil (or butter). The pan must be very hot, but not so hot that your oil is smoking.
Pour one soup-ladle or ice-cream scoop worth of batter into the middle of the hot pan, pick the pan up and swirl it around so that the batter disperses and spreads quickly into a larger circle. Put the pan down on the stove, keeping your burner at medium to medium-low heat. Don't flip the crepe right away. Let it cook for about a two minutes , until you can easily lift the edge of the crepe off the bottom of the pan, without resistance, to flip it.
Flip it just once, and let it cook another one and a half to two minutes. You can peak underneath after a minute to see how quickly the back side is browning. (This side cooks faster than the first, beware!)
Remove the crepe from pan and set on a plate, so you can keep making the rest. (Or keep them in a warm oven, if you prefer.)
To avoid crepes sticking together, place a piece of parchment paper in between each one, or spread with butter or vegan soy margarine.
To serve, simply add toppings of choice, and roll up as a finger food, or serve flat as pictured above with a knife and fork.
For sweet crepes, some popular toppings or fillings are:
-Sugar with a squeeze of lemon
-Chocolate spread, with or without fruit such as strawberries or banana slices
-Fresh fruit with sugar (and lemon)
-Ice cream with chocolate sauce
For savory crepes the most popular fillings are ham or turkey slices with shredded cheese such as Brie, Mozzarella or Gruyere. Sometimes, people add a fried egg (not us, of course).
-Shredded roasted chicken, tomatoes, and salad also work nicely. Olives add a delicious salty bite, too.
Bon appetit, mes amis!
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