Speaking of crepes… I use the recipe out of my workhorse edition of The Joy of Cooking. It’s the one for basic sweet crepes, though I make a few adjustments occasionally.
Basic Sweet Crepes
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C milk
1/4 C lukewarm water (I usually use the water in the kettle on the stove at room temp)
2 large (free-range!) eggs
2 Tbsp unsalted (organic) butter, melted (or 2 T canola oil in a pinch)
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt (about an 1/8 of a teaspoon)
(you can also add a teaspoon of finely grated lemon or orange zest for another layer of flavor)
You can make this in a food processor or blender. I usually use the blender because it pours better. Chuck in all the ingredients, but to keep from having to scrape so much, don’t put the flour in first. Blend till smooth and let rest for at least 30 minutes but 2 hours is best and it can be left in the fridge for up to two days.
To make the crepes, a crepe pan is ideal but any pan in which you can successfully make an omelette will work. This is where non-stick finishes (either chemically bonded or good long-term seasoning on French steel) are going to be your best friend. Get the pan hot and brush it (usually for the first crepe only) with a thin film of butter or a thin coat of pan spray. Put in just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan and cook until the batter is completely set and the crepe moves easily in the pan (it should have some brown mottling on the underside at this point). Flip the crepe with a wide spatula or, if you’ve got the mojo, slink it down to the end of the pan and jerk the pan to flip it shortorder-cook style (I’ve had minimal success with this and only with smaller crepes). Cook the other side of the crepe long enough to brown it slightly and flip out onto a plate. *
If you’re going to eat the crepes within 30 minutes to an hour don’t worry about putting anything in between them, they’ll peel apart fairly easily. If you are making them for later use, or to freeze, put waxed paper or parchment paper between them.
* My dad had a crepe system that worked really well. You can set up something similar either with two crepe pans or a crepe pan and a griddle. Keep both pans hot and instead of flipping the crepe you dump it into the other pan to cook the other side and start a new crepe in the first pan. It goes faster and two people can work side by side.
