Classic french crêpes that will transport you to a Parisian street vendor!

For full recipe see below!

My absolute favorite thing about crêpes is that you can pass them off as breakfast which means nutella/chocolate in the morning! Who doesn’t love an excuse to have chocolate before the day gets started? Now don’t get me wrong…I have chocolate in the morning all the time, but this is a better excuse than Calculus getting my brain in a knot!

These crêpes remind me of the cute little street vendor my sister, Kelly, and I got them at in Paris! Warning: If you go “Parisian street style” (no silverware) when eating crêpes, you will need…

                 a. lots of napkins

                               or

                 b. … *ehemm*… Kelly (right)…This picture was approved by my big sister, Kelly, who is a super supportive, fantastically awesome sister!

This was one of my favorite experiences of the entire week! Of course a lot of food related activities made the top ten…I mean we were in Paris after all!

So to start your own Parisian street vendor experience, you’re going to need eggs, milk, vegetable oil, flour, and salt.  

Throw your eggs in a blender and make that awful racket that your family hates! Just remind them that they get crêpes at the end! Now pop the rest of the ingredients into the blender and grrrrrrzzzzzzpthee <- that was my attempt at writing in blender. The batter should be thin….it will not be anywhere near the thickness of a pancake or waffle batter.

I put my batter in a bowl, so it’s easier to pour into the pan.

So there are a few options for cooking your crêpes:

1. Sauté Pan- The most cost and storage efficient option. The one I use and recommend for crêpes.

2. Crêpe Pan- I don’t recommend one of these because it is just a differently shaped sauté pan and for the sake of room in your kitchen just use the sauté pan. I know, I know …there is a difference in how the pan conducts heat through the crêpe based on the different shape of a crêpe pan, so if you’re a master crêpe chef, go for the crêpe pan.

3. Crêpe Maker- There are two models I’ve seen…one you dip basically a round hot plate in your batter and another you pour in and twirl it around. Again I believe this is just another piece of equipment you have to store ….honestly I love gadgets but only ones that make cooking more efficient or provide a unique skill like ice cream makers, blenders, and food processors.

So grab whatever option you have. I’m going to write the instructions for an 8-inch nonstick sauté pan.

Lightly spray the pan and set it over medium heat until the pan is hot. A good way to test whether your pan is ready or not is to run your finger under the faucet and then, holding your hand above the pan, let a droplet of water roll off your finger and into the pan.  If it sizzles your pan is ready to go! 

Now take a skimpy 1/4 cup of batter and pour it into the pan (picture 1). Swirl the batter around in the pan by tipping the pan so that the batter goes up the edges some and is a circle (picture 2). When the edges appear to be slightly brown (picture 3), start lifting up the  sides to check for light brown spots on the underside (picture 4). When they are the color you want, flip the crêpe over using a spatula (picture 5). If you’re super confident, you can try flipping it without a spatula. Let the crêpe cook for another 30 seconds to a minute (or until it has brown spots) and then stack your finished crêpes on a plate (picture 6). 

The first crêpe is really a tester to get the right consistency. After you see how the first one comes out, you can adjust how much batter you put in (based on the thickness you want), how long you cook it, how wide you swirl the batter, etc. Do keep spraying your pan after each crêpe because it keeps them from sticking and it creates that speckled brown color and that slightly rough texture. Once your pan is really warmed up, it will take about a minute to cook the first side and 30 seconds for the second side.

For the filling there are so many options! For today, I wanted nutella and sweetened whipped cream. To make sweetened whipped cream, put 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar in after 1 cup of cream is whipped. 

So for assembling your crepes you have choices! Will you go burrito style or pocket style?

Burrito style: Good for eating with silverware, roll up format, quality presentation

Pocket Style: Good for on the go, pocket format, stuffing in your face dynamics

Whatever you choose, smear some nutella and whipped cream on and roll or fold it up! I’m not going to give you specific quantities for how much filling to use because everyone likes different amounts. For decoration, you could dust with powdered sugar or put some fruit on the plate as a pop of color!

Crêpes would be a great idea for Easter brunch…they are really quite simple to make and would impress your guests. If you don’t want to cook in front of other people, make them about an hour before they arrive and zap them in the microwave. I wouldn’t recommend the day before, but the same day should be fine! They do keep well in the fridge for a few days, but you want to give guests fresh food!

Again please don’t hesitate to ask questions about a recipe or share your experiences in the comment section below… I would love to answer any questions and get feedback.

 …and voilà!

Source: Teens Cook