Dec 23

Dec 23 Crepes for Brunch

My memories of crepes go to my childhood when it seemed like we had crepes every Saturday for lunch, during the winter. My sisters and I sat at a table laden with warm fruit sauces, corn syrup, butter and sometimes also a light cream sauce. We wouldn’t want to wait for dad to make it in from the barn, because then we’d have to wait longer for our next crepe! We would eat as fast as mom could flip. She kept two pans on the go at all times, and would only sit to eat when the batter was all gone. I’d say average consumption was usually over 10 of these steaming, thin pancakes each, and we always kept count to be sure there was fair distribution!

This month I made crepes for 32 people at an event, and needed to have a gluten-free option. I made alterations to a recipe I found, and it was so lovely I prepared gluten-free for everyone! It was perfect for both sweet and savoury toppings.

Crepes, makes 18 6-inch, thin pancakes (serves 3-4ppl)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened plain) or can use any sort of milk

3 Tbs olive oil

3/4 cup corn starch (Fleischmann’s is now certified GF)

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp of butter or coconut oil to season your pan between every 3-4 crepes

notes on the meal:

have fillings and garnishes all ready before you start cooking the crepes
simple is good. these delicate pancakes are lovely with just unsalted butter and syrup, or fresh sliced fruit and sweet whipped cream
when serving a crowd, sometimes self-filled is best so that you can concentrate on flipping

Filling and Garnish ideas:

fried eggs with fresh salsa and cheese
pulled pork with cilantro and caramelized onions
maple syrup and whipped cream
sliced bananas, fresh berries with lemon-zest whipped cream and vanilla ice cream
warm vanilla custard with cooked peach sauce
hot apple pie filling with orange-whip and mascarpone cheese spread

Directions:

Measure all ingredients into a jar, in the order they are listed, and blend well with an immersion blender (or by hand with a whisk in a bowl).
Heat up a pan (I use a frying pan with a 6” base that is well seasoned") to medium-low heat and brush with a bit of coconut oil or butter and swirl well.
Pour 2 Tbs of batter into the hot pan, tipping and tilting the pan over the heat to distribute the thin batter. Let it cook un-touched for about 45 seconds and watch as the batter changes to show it is cooked. Flip over, using a rubber spatula or fine metal flipper. It only needs to cook on the other side for 15 seconds or so. * Your first crepe may be imperfect! That is okay! All part of seasoning your pan.
Place cooked Crepe on a plate or in a covered dish. Continue cooking more crepes! Before calling your family or guests to the table, have a good head-start on these thin, irresistible delicacies as each guest will inhale 2 or 3 in a matter of minutes! You can also cook all the crepes, and re-heat them as needed, just one at a time in a warm pan.

Chef’s note: if these are too delicate for your liking, just add another 1/4 cup of corn starch to the batter. Alternatively, create more lacey crepes by reducing the corn starch amount.

This batter is nice for both savoury and sweet fillings. Even unsweetened plain almond milk does have a hint of sweet, but not enough to hinder your savoury filling.