The thing about crepes is, yes, you have to make them. But you can do it in advance. They can easily be reheated and they even freeze well. Plus, they’re easy to modify for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and work just as well for your family as they do for last-minute guests.
Of course, you can have your crepes sweet — with some lemon juice and powdered sugar (or Nutella and banana!) but for a quick, healthy dinner, you can roll them with scrambled egg and cheddar cheese or some asparagus and goat cheese, sautéed mushrooms and Parmesan… you get the picture: whatever is in the fridge. Perfect for no-fuss holiday meals.
Recipe: Crepes
Makes about 8 crepes
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 egg
pinch salt
2 tsp sugar
300 ml milk
2 tbsp melted butter
Add the flour and pinch salt to a bowl, then add half the milk and the egg, all the while whisking until smooth. Now add the rest of the milk and whisk again until smooth. Now add the melted butter.
The most important thing about making a great crepe is allowing the batter to rest — allowing the starches from the flour to absorb the liquid and create a tender texture. Twenty minutes will do the trick but if it’s easier to make the batter ahead of time, you can even leave it overnight.
Note: the batter may thicken while resting. It should be the texture of light cream; if necessary, thin it with a teaspoon of water.
Remember, your first crepe is your test crepe! If it comes out too thick, you can always thin the batter more.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium. Add about a ¼ C batter (about a ladle’s worth) off the heat and rotate the pan until the batter spreads thin. Use just enough batter to coat the pan.
Put the pan back on the stove and cook for about one minute. When the top of the crepe starts looking dry, flip it. The second side will need less time (maybe only a few seconds). When done, slide the crepe out of the pan and onto a warm plate. Keep the crepes in a warm oven, under foil, until ready to serve. Or, allow them to cool, then refrigerate; as needed, reheat them briefly in the microwave. Bask in your crepe glory!
Recipe: Crepes
Makes about 8 crepes
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 egg
pinch salt
2 tsp sugar
300 ml milk
2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Add flour and pinch salt to a bowl. Then add half the milk and the egg, whisking all the while until smooth.
- Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth. Now add the melted butter.
- If making dessert crepes, add the sugar. The batter may seem very liquid but that is what you want. Cover and allow to rest a minimum of 20 minutes.
- The batter should be the texture of light cream. Thin it with a tsp of water if necessary.
- Heat your pan over medium. Drizzle in a bit of oil or butter. Add about a ¼ C batter (about a ladle-full) off the heat and rotate the pan until the batter spreads thin.
- Put back on the stove and cook for about one minute. Check for browning at the edges and then flip the crepe. It will need less time on second side.
Sue Riedl is a Toronto-based food writer with a passion for cheese who writes a column called The Spread for The Globe and Mail. She loves to push stinky cheese on her 4-year-old.
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by Sue Riedl