Brunch at Home :: Crepes
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 2:56PM When I was a kid, my parents made incredible breakfasts and brunches. My Dad would concoct all kinds of pancakes, omelets, poached eggs, Belgium waffles, and even crepes.
If I had to pick one breakfast item that is great for being cooked by two people and has become one of the favorites in the Two Cooks Kitchen it would be Crepes. They are simple and novel all at the same time.
We like to work as a team in the kitchen so while I am cooking the crepes Tara will take on the job of filling them while I work on the next one. Crepes have a stigma of being "hard" or "difficult." But with proper preparation, quality tools and a little practice anyone can make crepes an awesome breakfast for two at home.
Over the past several years I've made thousands of these flat little discs as they are one of our absolute favorite breakfasts. And I've had my fair share of failures, either overcooked, or cracking around the edges or even torn ones. I've found that investing in a true crepe pan will solve a huge percentage of those problems. Yes you could use a large skillet pan, but the edges won't allow for easy flipping. I went to Crate & Barrel Outlet and picked up a non-stick crepe pan for $15. Another important tool you'll need is a firm spatula to aid in flipping. I use one that can handle high temperatures from Target, another $3 or so. A small ladle can be handy for pouring the batter into the pan but I typically just pour straight from the blender.
Now that the tools are in order, on to the recipe. I've found a few recipes that are basically the same thing, since I prefer sweet crepes I'll list that recipe, but if you want crepes for dinner there are variations that remove the sugar and vanilla and add herbs for a more savory dish. Joy of Cooking and Alton Browns cookbook both have those recipes.
The keys to this recipe are to work fast and confidently, you have to keep moving from step to step. Smoothly "swirling" the pan while you add the batter allows it to form a nice base. But then you need to let it cook as you don't want to flip them too soon, timing is important. Cooking crepes is a very interactive process but it is so worth the effort.
Sweet Crepes
In a mixer add the following:
2 large eggs
3/4 Cup whole milk
1/2 Cup warm water
4 1/2 oz all purpose flour
1 1/2 oz unsalted melted and cooled butter
3 Tsp sugar
1 or 2 Tsp vanilla extractMix on high for a few minutes. Place in the refrigerator for at least two hours, but overnight works too. In the morning, just stir gently and bring to room temp.
Heat your crepe pan to medium-high. Coat with butter then wipe off the excess with a paper towel. Pour 1 - 2 oz of the batter in the pan and swirl the pan while you pour. Keep swirling the pan gently till the entire bottom is coated in the batter, you have to work fast before it sets.
Let it cook for around 30 seconds or until the edges of the crepe begin to harden and flip up. Gently run the spatula around the edge and slide the crepe out of the pan then flip so the crepe lands in the pan and not all over the stove. Let the crepe cook another 15 seconds then remove to a plate.
Add the next dosage of batter to the pan, swirl and repeat. While the second is cooking, you can either do rolled crepes or a crepe layer cake for the filling.
For the crepe layer cake you'll need:
Cream Cheese or Marscapone
Strawberry or Raspberry JamGently cover the first crepe with Cream Cheese, then place the second cooked crepe on top and cover the second with Jam. Cook the third and alternate till you run out of batter. Top the pancake with sifted Powdered Sugar, a few sprigs of mint and maybe a few cut strawberries. This is a good version to do as a team, one can work on the layers while the other works on the crepes.
For rolled crepes:
Simply place a spoonful of the filling of your choice down the center and roll. Fillings we like are fresh berry preserves, fruit compote, and marscapone cheese.
Enjoy!
. This book is awesome if you like to make desserts and to make sweets.
