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tricks to a perfect crepe

7 Steps to the Best Basic Crepe

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tricks to a perfect crepe

I have a confession to make…

I’m a hoarder.

I keep old clothes, old magazines, old documents… everything.

I keep it in case I might need it one day.

You may laugh but I used to keep all my kids toys – uber organized – and I never threw anything away. One day, a friend of my daughter came over and said, “Suzie, I need a red feather boa for an assignment and I asked my mom if we had one and she said, ‘no, but I bet Mrs. Durigon has one…go ask her’.”

Sure enough, I had one (don’t ask me where I got it from). This is why I don’t throw anything away. “Cause you might need a red feather boa one day.

So, needless to say, information is something that I hoard too because, in my mind, too much information is never too much information (just watch my kids’ expressions as I painstakingly tell a story and leave out not one single detail…not one!)!

As I’ve been cleaning up some of my old blog posts, I realized that I have this problem here too.  Some posts have so much information – partly because I assume you all want tons of info too. Some blog posts make sense to have a lot of information in them. Like, all my travel posts (like this one about Manchester, this one about France, this one about Iceland and this one about Italy)….they have a lot in them because I want to make sure you all have as much information about each place in case you ever go.

traveling to the south of france

A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about a local mill called K2 Milling after I went on an awesome tour with the owner, Mark. I wrote all about it but I thought I should also throw in a recipe… so I ended the post with a basic crepe recipe.

7 Steps to the Best Basic Crepe Just Crumbs Blog by Suzie Durigon

But, when I was re-reading it, I thought you guys might like some “how-to” pointers on making great crepes so, I’ve brought it over here!

What a very long-winded way of telling you I am splitting and old blog post 😉

So, let’s get to the “down and dirty” about making a perfect crepe!

7 Steps to the Best Basic Crepe Just Crumbs Blog by Suzie Durigon

Here are a few pointers:

1. Start with the Basics and Build from There (only if you want)

All crepe recipes start with humble ingredients – flour, salt, eggs, milk and melted butter. I like to add a touch of sugar (you don’t have to) and then keep the crepe simple so I can serve them sweet or savoury. But, if you want to kick it up a notch, you can add cocoa powder and sugar to make the crepes sweet or herbs and spices to make them savoury…you do you!

2. Make Sure to Let it Rest

Resting time is important – it has to do with relaxing the gluten and making a more tender crepe (it also give the flour time to properly absorb the liquid). You’ll learn as you make more crepes (kinda like when you make pancakes) that you may have to add a bit more milk if it gets too thick after the rest.

3. Temperature is Important

Like pancakes, the first one is usually a test (it is for me!!). You will need to heat the pan to the right temp so the first one might be a bit under or over cooked…no biggie!

4. Pan Prep!

You will need to use melted butter to prep the pan so the first one might be a bit greasy but the rest will turn out beautifully…promise.  Don’t beat yourself up about this… there are bigger fish to fry in the world

5. Pan Choice

Some people use a proper crepe pan (its the perfect crepe size and has shallow edges) but a proper crepe pan isn’t necessary. Some people use only non stick pans, others say a regular pan cooks more evenly. Again, after a bit of practice, you do you!

6. The Pour and Swirl

If you use the same amount for each crepe (you can use a spoon or ladle to ensure this) and when the temperature is right, you should be able to pour in one end of the pan and swirl it to coat the entire bottom. When it looks dry on top and the edges are dry too, it’s time for the next step.

7. The Flip

Using a rubber (heat proof) spatula, gently flip the crepe over and cook for about 20-30 second (the first side takes 1-2 minutes). If you have a bit of courage, you can try the pan flip. It’s we did that in culinary school…but now I use a spatula ’cause who do I have to impress anyways? But again, you do you…godspeed!

Tricks to making a perfect crepeTricks to making a perfect crepe

As you cook the rest, cover the cooked crepes with a tea towel or a damp paper towel.

If you’d like to freeze them (they freeze beautifully!), separate them with parchment.

Now that you have a pile of crepes, you can serve them with some orange liqueur and flambe them (again culinary school stuff!).

Or you can squeeze a bit of lemon, sprinkle with sugar and them serve with fresh blueberries…

tricks to a perfect crepe

Or how about a savory crepe? Make a sandwich out of them by filling with whatever your heart desires (this one has thinly sliced caciocavallo cheese, roasted mushrooms, hard boiled eggs and labneh! Serve with a salad and you are golden!

tricks to a perfect crepe

tricks to a perfect crepe

The Best Basic Crepe Recipe

Why not welcome spring with a batch of crepes. They are so easy to make and can be made ahead of time which make it the best dessert when you have company! Spread with your favourite preserves, sweetened cream (cream cheese, whipped cream, yogurt), chocolate spread or peanut butter. Topped with some cooked berries, preserves, or icing sugar, it makes a perfect springtime meal!!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
  • cups whole milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • Additions for serving cream cheese, whipped cream, sweetened yogurt, powdered sugar, ice cream, etc

Instructions
 

  • In a blender, combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter.
  • Puree until mixture is smooth and bubbles form on top, about 30 seconds. Let batter sit at least 15 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 day; whisk before using).
  • Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. Add ⅓ cup batter and swirl to completely cover bottom of skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Loosen edge of crepe with a rubber spatula, then with your fingertips, quickly flip. Cook 1 minute more. Slide crepe out of skillet and repeat with remaining batter. (Coat pan with butter as needed.)
  • Crepes can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for a few days or can be separated by parchment paper and frozen to use later.
  • To serve, spread with your favourite preserves, sweetened cream (cream cheese, whipped cream, yogurt), chocolate spread or peanut butter. Topped with some cooked berries, preserves, or icing sugar, it makes a perfect springtime meal!!