Breakfast Crêpes
Crêpes have always been one of my favorite things, though the thought of making them never crossed my mind. Why? Because my perception of the process has always been that they’re far too difficult to make unless you’re a pro. Well, maybe not difficult, just daunting. And I won't lie, you have to play around with your heat and such, but once you get the hang of it, it actually wasn't that difficult at all!
I’ve made this recipe four times now, without fail - so I’m here to tell you, these are the real deal! They're so easy to make and taste so good. One of my favorite parts is the subtle taste of brandy. You can top and/or fill crêpes with anything. Sweet, savory, you name it. Adding Nutella to one side, folding it over and dusting with powdered sugar is AMAZING. Having them with Nutella makes me think of Paris. Le Sigh. Anyway, here I’ve simply topped with fresh fruit and powdered sugar, and I must admit, I love to cover these beauties in maple syrup. Ok, gotta go eat them now!
INGREDIENTS (MAKES APPROX 12-15 CRÊPES):
Crêpe Batter:
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk (you can also use skim)
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Additional butter for cooking
- Maple syrup (optional)
- Powdered sugar and fruit (optional)
Tools Needed:
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender, combine the milk and eggs, mixing on med-high until combined and foamy, about 10 seconds.
2. Turn blender to low speed (or completely off if your blender gets too excited and starts over-flowing!), remove feed top and add sugar and salt.
3. Replace top and blend on high for a few seconds then turn speed back to low (or off). Like before, add melted butter, brandy and vanilla, one at a time, blending for a few seconds between each addition.
4. Turn blender off and add flour all at once. Replace feed top and blend until just combined.
5. Pour batter through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. This will ensure any tiny lumps of flour are removed!
6. Place crêpe pan over medium-high heat and add a little butter - or - you can brush the pan with melted butter using a pastry brush (I opted for the pastry brush).
7. Heat until butter just begins to smoke (but not burn), and pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. I found that 1/3 cup was perfect, but it will depend on the size of your pan. I used this omelette pan from Williams-Sonoma. SEE VIDEO LINK BELOW
8. Cook crêpe until bubbles just begin to form on the surface, then lift up the edge to check it's brownness. If your crêpe starts to burn before it's cooked through, turn your heat down. If it hasn't browned after two minutes, turn your heat up.
9. When understand has browned, flip and cooked another 30 seconds - 1 minutes until browned.
10. Remove and place in oven on low-heat (around 150 F), on an over-safe plate.
11. Continue until all batter has been used.
12. Fill or top with your favorite goodies! I used powdered sugar, fresh berries and maple syrup.
While NOT THE SAME RECIPE, this video is as a good, visual "how-to," for cooking crêpes.
Photography by Jonathan Stiers ©2016 | Recipe from Epicurious
