Crepes are a delightful French pancake of sorts, extremely thin, rich with butter and milk, and so very versatile! They're used for a variety of fillings, and can be anything from the highlight to a savory breakfast, to an elegant entree for your brunch buffet, to a luscious and over the top dessert!
The thing is, we have a hard time finding them in the grocery stores here! It's NOT that they aren't eaten...I've actually made hundreds and hundreds, of different varieties, while catering for the Navarro County Women's Clubhouse...I guess Crepes just don't fit in with the Texas cowboy image!
Believe me! They can be done in savory fashion that will please any tough, burly guy!
So, while at On Higher Grounds Espresso Cafe, I taught myself to make these delicate wrappers. I wanted my breakfast menu to reflect a unique point of view, that wasn't the run of the mill breakfast fare. We created several savory breakfast crepes, which we topped with our home made Hollandaise, flavored to go with the crepe at hand...it was a lot of fun! So, when I went into catering, I had no fear of doing crepes...and after a single afternoon of making crepes for a party of 100...that's 200 crepes, my friends... I think I can call myself an experienced great crepes maker!
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It's still nearly impossible to find crepes at the grocers, here! But good news, guys!!! I make them, and sell them! And, because they're, technically, a bread item, I can advertise! We all know that home made trumps commercial, any day, anyway!! I make crepes in packages of a dozen. And, if you need multiple packages, we can work that out! They do freeze beautifully, and will hold in your freezer for 6 months...a year if you double wrap...I can guarantee you'll use them up way before that, though!! Order at least a day ahead, I like to rest my batter overnight in the fridge, as it makes for a smoother crepe. Most of you who live in more metropolitan areas can probably find crepes in your local grocers. If you are interested in ordering, give me a shout out!
One of the best thing about home making crepes is the control of the flavors...they can be sweet or savory...we can put cinnamon in dessert crepes, or chocolate! We can change the attitude of our savory crepes for a globe trotting twist! Try our Chili Cumin Crepes for a filling of Green Chili Chicken, or our Curried Crepes with a Chicken Tikka Masala filling! I even do Cornmeal Crepes, which have a fun Mexican flavor for any number of fillings!
Let's start out with the basics...I'm going to share my recipe with you, for my favorite crepe shells...try them! It's not that hard, once you get the hang of it!
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Basic Crepes Makes 18 Shells
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Cup whole milk
1/2 Cup water
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Cup all purpose flour
Pam Butter Flavored Non Stick Spray, for pan
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Put crepe ingredients all in a blender, mix till well combined. Transfer it to a covered bowl...you want this loose consistency...it's a crepe, not a pancake! Pop this in the refrigerator overnight, preferably...for several hours, at least, if you forgot to plan ahead.
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The next day, take out the batter and let it come up to room temp for at least a half hour. You'll need a really good non-stick 6" fry pan. A lot of folks do a coating of butter between crepes...I've found that it's easier to use the butter flavored non stick spray; less chance of burning, and it lasts for several crepes in a row, where you don't need to re-apply. I use a quarter cup scoop filled to a 3 tablespoon level...it makes the perfect thin crepe. A quarter cup results in a bulkier crepe, not as delicate.
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Heat your pan over medium high heat. When it's hot, quickly spray with your butter flavored non stick, holding the pan off the flame. Pour 3T batter in to the center of the sprayed pan, and quickly tilt and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan. This part takes practice...but the French say 'Ze first crepe is for ze dogs!' It also tempers the pan...if it flops, don't cry...just accept it and move on.
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It gets 'lacey' around the edges when it's time to flip the crepe. It takes a minute or so...not long at all! This isn't the time to take a phone call, or answer the door! Be prepared to not walk away till the lot is done! When it's nice and lacey, and you see a hint of color, gently run a spatula around the edges, to loosen the crepe...lift the edge so you can grip it lightly with your fingers, and flip it over with the assist of your spatula. You'll probably burn your fingertips a couple of times...just be careful, and don't toss the crepe across the room when you do! It gets easier the more you do it...trust me.
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Another half minute or so on side two, and it's done...turn it out on a rack to cool, and repeat the process till you've used all the batter! Isn't it pretty!! Before you know it, you'll have a wonderful stack of beautiful, luscious crepes! I like to store mine with parchment between the crepes...that way, you can put them in the freezer, use what you need, and put the rest back for safe-keeping!
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Now, that we've made our crepes, what do we want to put inside???
I helped to bring the Savory Crepes Breakfast idea to Corsicana, when we had our coffee shop, On Higher Grounds Espresso Cafe. I just loved coming up with new ideas for fillings, that would go with a breakfast theme! And our customers enjoyed them...win, win! They could be simply filled, with bacon, eggs and cheese, or they could be more complex!
One of the crowd favorites was the Southwest Breakfast Crepes, with fresh eggs, sauteed bell pepper, onion, and bacon with a topping of Peppered Hollandaisse!
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I have a Crepes of Monte Cristo (seen below), a fun twist on an old bistro favorite! Sweet and savory, this folded crepes dish features super thin sliced deli black forest or honey ham and a good Gruyere or Swiss cheese...and the Maple Dijon Spread!!!
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For the spread, It's 3 Tbs of your favorite Maple Pancake Syrup and 1/4 Cup of Dijon Mustard. Spread it on the inside of the crepe, layer the meat & cheese, and fold. Bake, covered, at 350, just long enough to heat through and get the cheese all nice and gooey! Drizzle with extra syrup just before you serve! Tre' Delicios! The Count of Monte Cristo, himself, never had it so good!!
This is fun on a brunch buffet, too! Lay out your folded crepes on a warming platter, and serve the syrup on the side, along with some jam!
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Eggs Florentine Crepes is a delicious change to the breakfast routine! I like to take sauteed fresh spinach and sliced mushrooms, with minced onion, toss in some fresh diced tomato, and scramble in fresh eggs. Finish with a bit of Parmesan, if you want. Roll up in your crepes and top with rich, lemony Hollandaisse! They'll think you're a genius!!
While we're doing genius things, let's talk about putting flavor zingers in our crepes that will really knock your guests socks off!!!
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Crepes Chicken Masala has an East Indian flavor bend. I add Mild Curry Powder and Tumeric to the crepe batter, and fill them with Grilled Chicken Tikka Masala...roll them up and top with extra Masala Sauce! It's divine! It makes a nice light brunch with a Mesclun Salad on the side, with a nice Champagne Vinaigrette!
And here's my Franco-Mexican twist on crepes! Cornmeal Crepes...here's what you need!
Cornmeal Crepes
2 fresh eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup water
3/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup cornmeal
1/2 Cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs melted butter
1 tsp sugar
Process in the blender, just like the regular crepes! Rest overnight, and make them up the next day, like you did the others! They'll store just as easily and as well! You could fill them with pulled chicken, sauteed onions and green chiles, and Monterey jack cheese; roll them up and top with a fabulous Fire Roasted Poblano Crema! Just saute 3/4 cup of minced onion in 2 Tbs of butter till soft, add in 1 clove of minced garlic and saute another minute. Add in two fire roasted poblano peppers, that you've peeled and diced. Stir to meld the flavors and add in 1 cup of heavy cream. Simmer on low, allowing the sauce to thicken, until it coats the back of a spoon. Toss it in the blender, being careful to cover the lid with a towel, as this is hot stuff! You really don't want to be wearing this! Just as good...or, maybe even better, you can use lobster, crab or shrimp in place of the chicken...Maybe add in some fire roasted fresh corn...possibilities abound!!! I like to finish these with a garnish of queso fresco, grilled fresh corn and cilantro.
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My Chicken Asparagus Crepes have a hint of sage and thyme in the crepe shells...it gives just a hint of...what is that? to take your dish over the top!
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The filling in these is sauteed onion and mushrooms in Parmesan cream sauce with fresh thyme, with pulled roasted chicken and blanched asparagus. I garnish this with finely shredded Parmesan, chives and asparagus tips, with extra cream sauce on the side. I like these with a side of Tomatoes Vinaigrette!
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Oh, and the desserts!!! My, oh my!!! Dessert Crepes are the same basic batter, just add in a tablespoon of granulated sugar.
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This one has sliced fresh banana and strawberries, with fresh whipped cream piped in, rolled up like a cone and garnished with chocolate drizzle...if you want to, you can mix your fruit in to vanilla pudding, for a richer filling, but just fruit and cream is equally inviting!
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Caramel Peach Crepes are a primetime summer delight! To fancify the crepe shells, I like to add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg as well as the sugar. I thinly slice fresh peaches (or nectarines, plums or apricots) and saute them gently in butter with a sprinkle of brown sugar. Fill and fold the crepes, and drizzle them with with your favorite caramel sauce or praline sauce, if you want to go all out!
Yes...it had to happen! Crepes Elvis!!!
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For the Chocolate Dessert Crepe Shells, you'll need
2 fresh eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup water
2 Tbs Butter, melted
3/4 Cup flour
1/4 Cup cocoa
3 Tbs confectioner sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
Process in your blender, just like all the rest. And, again, rest overnight or at least several hours. Process your crepes as you would normally.
For the filling, saute bananas in butter to soften. Meanwhile, beat peanut butter with a bit of milk to make it a looser, but still spreadable consistency. Slather over the inside of the crepe shell and load with bananas and some chopped peanuts, for crunch. Roll them up, garnish with caramel sauce, if desired, fresh whipped cream and extra chopped peanuts. YUMMO!!
So, anyway...give it a try! Or, if you're short on time, give me a call! Enjoy!!!
The images in this post are all random internet pictures, so old that I no longer know from where they sourced. This blog post originally appeared on my catering website, as a sharing of some of my recipes, in August of 2015.
http://mamajeani.wix.com/gardengatebakery