“Pancakes were meant to be flipped!”
— Anthony T. Hincks
Five or six years ago I took a class at Sur La Table on how to make crepes, and have been making them ever since. Crepes can be so intimidating if you’ve never made them, but once I learned how easy and forgiving they are, I was never intimidated again.
What I love most about crepes is their versatility. They can be sweet or savory. You can add anything to crepe batter: herbs, chocolate, spices, or keep them plain. Once you’ve made the base, then you can add any ingredients you want to the inside. Versatile.
For this example, I made universal crepes. (These are the two my husband loves) I made plain crepes with strawberries and vanilla bean mascarpone, as well as the tried and true nutella and bananas crepe.
To get started, make the batter. A lot of professional chefs and bakers make their batter in a blender. I don’t have a good blender, so I use a kitchen aid mixer. I recommend using a blender for reasons listed below. After making the batter, make sure to let it rest for 30 minutes. During that time, you can make the fillings.
First things first… make sure the butter is completely melted before adding it to the batter. I made the mistake of throwing two tablespoons in the microwave for :30 seconds, and thinking it was melted, I immediately tossed it in the batter. There was about half of a tablespoon that didn’t melt. The batter was already whisking away in the kitchen aid, so I just kept going. After letting the batter rest, the chunks of un-melted butter rose to the top of the batter. I moved forward, but the dreaded “first pancake” happened. I attempted to flatten the chunks, but then attempted removing the chunks all together. Had I used a blender, it would have smoothed out the batter completely.
Make sure to flip crepes like pancakes. Blintzes don’t have to be flipped, but crepes should be flipped. I use an offset spatula to help raise the crepe and flip it. I’ve seen some kitchen pros use a seafood spatula as well.
After the first “pancake” the rest of the crepes baked out beautifully. I love making crepes on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Sweet or savory, they always fulfill a lazy weekend morning craving. Happy crepe making!
Crepe Recipe
- Crêpe Batter:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided, plus more for brushing pan
To prepare crêpe batter: Place eggs, milk, water, flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons melted butter in a blender. Blend into a smooth batter with the consistency of heavy cream. If batter is too thick, whisk in additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Vanilla Bean Mascarpone: mix 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 8 oz of mascarpone, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. Taste the filling, and add 1/4 cup of sugar until it reaches desired sweetness.
To cook crêpes: Heat a 9-inch crêpe pan or high-quality, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle on contact. Brush the surface of the crêpe pan with a thin film of melted butter using a silicone pastry brush.
Gently stir the batter and ladle ¼ cup into the middle of pan, swirling the batter quickly in all directions to evenly coat the pan with a thin layer of batter. Cook crêpe until the edges turn golden, about 60 to 90 seconds. Gently lift the edge of the crêpe with an offset spatula and quickly flip. Cook the second side until the batter is set, another 30 to 60 seconds.
Transfer the crêpe to a plate and top with a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with more butter, as needed. Stack the crêpes between sheets of parchment to prevent sticking.
Let me know how the recipe turned out for you in the comments below!
Trial & Eggs 