Revisiting Crêpes

Two years ago, my Parisian friend Ariane came to visit me for two weeks before our last year of high school. We had a great time exploring the tourist destinations of Cincinnati as well as the quieter locations of everyday life, and she got a taste of American life. I didn't expect that I would also get a more literal taste of French life! Ariane taught me how to make crêpes at home, and as fancy as they seemed to a girl from Ohio, they were actually quite easy, comparable with chocolate chip cookies as a simple treat. I've made them a few times since, but I felt the need to revisit them two weekends ago and compare a few new recipes to learn more about the process.

What I found was that most crêpe recipes are nearly identical: simple French ingredients such as eggs, butter, and flour, and low-maintenance preparation. I was much more familiar with French cooking terms this time! I tried to ignore what I already knew and just follow the recipe. I can be pretty haphazard with measurements while baking, so I challenged myself to follow exactly what I was reading. Once again, I began with mise en place so I could focus on the recipe instead of searching for ingredients as I went.

Making crêpes begins much like making pancakes. 2 cups of flour are added to a large mixing bowl along with 2 tablespoons of sugar and just a pinch of salt to enhance their sweetness. They still have only a very light flavor when finished, which makes them easy to pair with other things (Nutella, lemon curd, fruit jam are favorites in my house!). When the dry ingredients are mixed, make a hollow in the center and crack 4 eggs into the well. Mixing at this point was the only place where I ran into trouble...I tried with a whisk but the batter was much too thick, so I scraped it off and went back in with an electric mixer on its lowest speed. This is definitely the way to go!

While you mix, add just over 2 cups of milk. Since I don't have a way to measure half a liter, and definitely not 2.11 cups, I added an extra splash after mixing the first 2 cups all the way. At this point, the batter was fairly thin, and had a nice creamy butter color. And then we add the butter! 50 grams equals roughly 3.5 tablespoons, which is easier to visualize with the markings on the paper wrapping. I melted it in the microwave first, and the temperature differences in butter and batter required more mixing than I expected because it wanted to sit on top of the egg/flour mixture in a thin film. It definitely looked strange at first, and I think adding more milk would have allowed for easier mixing.

Crêpes can be cooked in a pan on the stove with no need for fancy equipment, so this is the way to go for most of us. I heat the pan on medium/high, and I test to make sure it's hot enough by sprinkling some water onto the pan -- the droplets should dance off. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into the center of the pan and quickly rotate it to let it spread. I sometimes use a paper towel to blot excess and coat the untouched surface.

Now for the fun part! The first crêpe is always a little greasy because it soaks up a lot of the oil, so the softer texture is a little harder to cook. I ladle enough batter to spread to the edges of the pan, gently and evenly rotating it in the air. You can see the change in color and texture as it cooks:

The thin edges cook quickly, so I try not to let the batter go too far onto the pan's sides when I rotate it. Thicker batter yields fluffier crêpes that feel more like pancakes, so after cooking one or two I often add more milk to the batter and mix again. It's okay to do this at any time!

Each side cooks for roughly 1-2 minutes, just until you can slide a flat spatula underneath to flip it over. Here are a few different ones on their second side! Darker patterns develop where the hot oil was spread out on the pan.

I stack my crêpes on a paper towel on a plate so that the first one doesn't hold so much oil. It also keeps them warmer while the rest of the batter is being used, unless you're making them one at a time to eat.

The easiest fillings are soft and spreadable, like Nutella or jam. I cover one half of the crêpe with a light layer and then fold the blank side over top, then in half again. The advice from France is to eat the corner last so it doesn't leak!

This recipes makes roughly two dozen crêpes, so my family of five tends to have them for a few days. They can be stored covered by a cloth in the microwave for up to three days (although they are definitely best before then). You can freeze them as well, but I haven't done this. Leftovers are fine at room temperature and can also be heated for just a few seconds in the microwave.