Crepes, crepes, crepes

I will never forget the first time I had a crepe on the streets of Paris.  I'd had crepes before  but none could ever come close to that experience.  It was ham and cheese oozing with warm gooey goodness.  I will never forget how delicious it was and how wonderful it was to be actually in "Paris" while I ate it.  Ever since then I have had an infatuation with this wonderful confection.  It can be savory or sweet.  Served for dessert or breakfast or as a snack.  It's so versatile and simple, yet elegant and delicate. 



I've had this recipe for a couple years now and it's really a culmination of trial and error with recipes I've found on the Internet and my own experience watching street vendors actually make crepes.  I love to stare at them while they pour the batter and swirl it around the pan with their little crepe spreader.  It's an really an art and a delicious one at that.  My crepes may not be as perfect as those street vendors but they are yummy and that is what matters.

Here's what you'll need...

 Ingredients

Makes about 16 crepes
(I know this seems like a lot but they store very easily in the fridge for a couple weeks and can be reheated in a pan or the microwave)

1/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
4 Tablespoons butter melted
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)

(This works best if all the ingredients are at room temperature)


Toppings can be but are not limited to, powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruit, Nutella and bananas, cinnamon and sugar or applesauce.

First sift the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter.  Next add the eggs and whisk until they are combined. 

Add the milk, water and vanilla and mix well.  Sometimes I use an electric mixer here and sometimes I continue to use the whisk.  If your eggs and milk are still cold I recommend using the electric mixer, but if they are room temperature then the whisk will do just fine. 

Next sift the flour and salt into the liquid mixture.  See my pretty white mountain of flour?

Beat the flour into the liquid mixture until it is smooth, like the first picture.  Heat a nonstick griddle over medium high heat.  Then pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle.  Immediately tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly and forms a large circle. 

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is a light brown.  Then loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip it to the other side.  It should not stick.  That's why it's important to use a nonstick pan.

Serve these hot with...

My favorite homemade applesauce and whipped cream.

My kids favorite, Nutella and bananas or just Nutella. 

 Then there's my other favorite, ice cream with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. Yum!

Raspberry sauce

2cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2cup sugar (a bit more if the raspberries are very tart)

1tsp cornstarch

Cook the raspberries and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the raspberries and sugar dissolve and the mixture comes to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in about 1 tablespoon of water, then add to the raspberry mixture. Boil and stir for 10 more minutes until it thickens a little. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Enjoy!

Find the downloadable recipe card here.