ISO crepe recipe

[lpb]

I LOVE crepes, especially with the melted nutella, but I've always wondered about the ingredients of the batter, is it just like pancakes, just prepared different??? I have seen a street vendor pour the batter and spread it thin with that tool...I wanted to see if I could try it at home, any suggestions??

lpb

 

[corazon]

I'm sure there are so many recipes out there but this is the recipe that I use-
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups milk
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
cooking spray or butter

1. Combine milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add flour 1/3 cup at a time, processing after each addition.
2. Place an 8-inch nonstick skillet coated with the cooking spray or butter over medium heat until hot. Pour a scant ¼ cup of batter into pan; quickly tilt in all directions so batter covers the pan with a thin film
3. Carefully lift edge of crepe to test for doneness. When underside is lightly browned. Turn crepe over and cook 10 seconds on other side
4. Keep crepes warm in the oven while preparing the remainder.

We like to fill crepes with fresh fruit and top with whipped cream or in the winter (when fruit is pricey) I heat frozen raspberries on the stove with a little sugar (also served with whipped cream). Nutella with bananas or strawberries are another favorite.

 

[kadesma]

For a lovely light refreshing crepe, add some lemon zest to your batter and serve it with some strawberry freezer jam..outstanding flavors

kadesma

 

[TATTRAT]

simple and no fail
2 eggs
cup of flour
cup of milk
2Tmelted butter stirred into the batter.

The hardest part of a good crepe is the pan temp, be careful or you'll end up with French/Belgian tortillas.

 

[auntdot]

lpb there is nothing simpler than making a crepe. And it is very similar to making pancakes but the batter is usually a bit thinner and there is no baking powder.

Corazon and Tattrat use the same sort of recipes I use.

Corazon's makes a sweet crepe and is great for making sweet dishes, while I use Tattrat's for making crepes for dishes where I don't want the sweetness (savory dish crepes). Although actually I never measure the ingredients.

I have seen some recipes that insist one should let the batter rest for at least an hour after preparation (and have even seen one that encourages keeping the batter overnight before using) but I am afraid I have never seen the advantage of it. Although must admit I usually make the batter first and let it sit while I do some other prep work. I never make crepes first and store, but it works just fine. And would do so if I were making them for a crowd.

I remember about thirty five years ago when crepe restaurants were really a fad. have not seen a crepe on a menu now for many years. Maybe it is the fact that the dishes are usually very rich. Sorry for the aside.

Anyway, I do find savory crepes fantastic. They are a great vehicle for leftovers, particularly ham and chicken (or ham and chicken together). Or seafood crepes with crab, or lobster, or shrimp, or a mixture, yessir,that is eating.

I prefer a very hot pan, and really prefer nonstick, although can make them on regular pans. Rub a bit of butter on the pan, cook the first crepe and toss (it doesn't have the lovely golden brown color I like, but it tastes jsut fine). And then just keep pouring batter and making

Give it a go. After one or two you will have the knack - it really is that simple. Enjoy.

 

[corazon]

Corazon's makes a sweet crepe and is great for making sweet dishes, while I use Tattrat's for making crepes for dishes where I don't want the sweetness (savory dish crepes). Although actually I never measure the ingredients.

I have seen some recipes that insist one should let the batter rest for at least an hour after preparation (and have even seen one that encourages keeping the batter overnight before using) but I am afraid I have never seen the advantage of it. Although must admit I usually make the batter first and let it sit while I do some other prep work. I never make crepes first and store, but it works just fine. And would do so if I were making them for a crowd.

I prefer a very hot pan, and really prefer nonstick, although can make them on regular pans. Rub a bit of butter on the pan, cook the first crepe and toss (it doesn't have the lovely golden brown color I like, but it tastes jsut fine). And then just keep pouring batter and making

Yep, my recipe is for the sweet fillings. Originally there was no sugar or vanilla in the recipe but have added it for a little more flavor.

I've heard of the resting time for the batter too. I think it is to let the bubbles in the batter settle so that your crepes are smooth. I've never seen the advantage of it either and always skip this step.

Good advice about the hot pan too.

 

[Fred Manhed]

Throw away the first crepe!? That's crazy. I don't bother keeping them warm in the oven either, since the tradition in my house is to eat them standing up in the kitchen as they come off the griddle.

 

[Katie H]

Most of the time I make savory crepes and have a no-fail batter that is made with instant (Wondra) flour.

We have 2 favorite savory crepe dishes. One is Coquilles St. Jacques Crepes, which is a great take on the traditional seafood dish of the same name. The other is a Russian dish that was given to me by a Russian friend and superb cook and is called Nalistniki. It's a crepe filled with a mixture of cooked ground beef, hard-boiled eggs, dill, butter, salt and pepper and some other ingredients I'm not remembering right now. They are baked and served with a beef-mushroom sauce. Wonderful.

As others have said, crepes are a great "canvas" for all sorts of other ingredients. The only restriction is your imagination.

I've made enough crepes that I no longer have to discard the first one when I cook them.

 

[Loprraine]

I read years ago ( Julia Child) that letting the crepe batter rest produces a more tender crepe. I have two steel crepe pans that I only use for that, but if I need more pans, I'll use my small non stick skillets. I like them out of the pan with a bit of butter and maple sugar. Cold savoury ones, rolled and cut, make great appetizers that can be filled with all kinds of interesting things. The hot savoury ones make a really nice supper.

 

[Bilby]

AuntDot said it all really. While they do say to throw away the first crepe, it doesn't have to be if (a) your pan is hot enough, and (b) your batter is thin enough. And like AuntDot, I don't deliberately let the mixture sit but it does by default.

Shouldn't really keep the warm, serve them straight away as they loose their brilliance when not superfresh. Bit different though if you are doing savoury ones I guess.

You should also have a devoted crepe pan like Loprraine.

AuntDot, you should come to Perth. Both savoury and sweet crepes are on the menus in lots of restaurants here. And that is excluding the pancake place in the city. (Pretty sure we only have the one pancake restaurant these days.)

 

[miniman]

I was listening to a scientific cook the other day. The resting allows the gluten to develp the network and stiffen so that the batter holds the air when it is cooked. This probably not so important for crepes but very important for batter puddings and thicker pancakes.

 

[Caine]

​

Freida's Crepes, ready to use, in the produce section of your local supermarket, in amongst the fruit dips and glazes .

 

[lpb]

so many ideas!!!

I was just looking for a sweet recipe I guess and didn't even think of all the savory recipes as well...I'm definitely going to try both. Thanks for all your tips and recipes!! I can't wait to try them!

lpb

 

[Caine]

Here's one I just came across this morning in this month's Cooking Light Magazine: MIXED BERRY CREPES

Oh, and if you run out of ideas, here's a list of about SIXTY MORE CREPES RECIPES.

 

[babetoo]

i hop

i hop a pancake house here in calif. has great crepes my favorite is the german. powdered sugar and lemon butter.

have a had mixed results making them myself.

babe

 

[MINX]

Hi IPB!

Just so you know... crepes and pancakes are the same thing! Pancakes is in English and Crepes is spanish and french. So it has exactlly the same ingredients .

 

[Jeekinz]

Here's a link to the recipe I use. The rum adds excellent flavor.

Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way - Google Book Search

 

[DrThunder88]

I just used the Good Eats recipe this morning. I don't know if crepes and jam for breakfast is a common thing, a Swiss thing, or just a family thing, but the crepes were pretty darn good. I remember my grandma (first generation Swiss-American) would make them with sour cream in the batter, but her recipe seems to have been misplaced.

Also, I recommend using a skillet larger than eight inches when trying to feed hungry people. Even with a short, one-minute cooking time, I couldn't keep up with the rate they were being eaten!

 

[Maverick2272]

Lots of good recipes here, but I have a quick one that always works:
I hand the pancake mix to my wife and ask her to make pancakes. I know it sounds cruel, but no matter what she does they always turn out like crepes instead of pancakes.
Then again, she also preferes crepes to pancakes so maybe there is something subliminal there, LOL.