Around the World in 80 Dishes: Sweet Crêpes

In our ongoing video series Chef Lou Jones, from The Culinary Institute of America, demonstrates how to make sweet crêpes from Brittany, France

Master the techniques for making crêpes, and you'll have the means to create impressive breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and dinners. While the recipe for these thin, delicate French pancakes featured in our videos is for the sweet variety, you can make them savory by simply omitting the sugar in the batter.

As Chef Jones says in the video, if you're not used to making crêpes, the batter might seem a bit thin to you. Not to worry-this consistency allows bubbles to form so your crêpes will have a thin, delicate, lacy appearance. For perfectly tender crêpes, don't overwork the batter; just stir until you don't see lumps, then strain the batter to remove the rest of them. After making the batter, allow the mixture to rest before cooking-this gives the glutens time to relax so your crêpes will be soft instead of tough and chewy.

Cook the pancakes one at a time, swirling to allow the batter to cover the whole pan. While the low lip on a crêpe pan makes it a bit easier to turn the pancakes over, any good skillet will do.

"In their homeland of Brittany , crêpes are often eaten sprinkled simply with sugar as a snack on the run," explains Anne Willan in The Country Cooking of France. Also try them spread with jam or Nutella, or filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, or fruit-let your imagination and the wide range of crêpe recipes in our database guide you.

RECIPE

Sweet Crêpes

Epicurious | April 2009

Chef Lou Jones, The Culinary Institute of America

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups whole milk

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for cooking crêpes

  • Assorted fillings, such as fresh lemon juice and sugar or bananas and Nutella

Preparation

In large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups milk, heavy cream, and eggs. Gradually whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in remaining 1 cup milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Strain batter through fine-mesh sieve, discarding any lumps. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Using pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat 6-inch crêpe pan or cast-iron skillet with butter. Heat pan over moderately high heat until butter is hot but not smoking. Whisk batter briefly to reincorporate any settled solids.

Ladle about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. Cook until crêpe is just set and golden around edges, 10 to 15 seconds. Using tip of knife, loosen edge of crêpe, then, using fingertips, carefully flip crêpe over. Cook until underside is set, about 20 seconds more. Transfer cooked crêpe to platter and keep warm.

Repeat to cook remaining crêpes, coating pan with butter each time and stacking crêpes on platter. Fill crêpes with desired fillings and serve immediately.

DO AHEAD: Crêpes can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate, covered. To rewarm, transfer stack to baking sheet, cover with foil, and heat in 300°F oven about 15 minutes.

Text by Megan O. Steintrager, illustrations by Matthew Brennan, photo by CIA/Keith Ferris


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