Monday, April 21, 2008

Aimez Vous Les Crepes? Do You Like Crepes?



I love crepes! I love them as a dessert of course, but I also love them as a savory entree. Crepes are one of my specialties which get requested by family and friends, especially my mom.

I remember watching my mom make them when I was a child. I would help prepare the batter using my mom's favorite cookbook, a guide for newlyweds given to every couple by the city of Paris when my parents were married. My mom would set my child's chair on the large kitchen counter at a safe distance from the stove and I could see an amazing view of all of Paris through the window and I could also see my mom preparing these crepes.

She would show me the texture of the batter, and of the crepes at various stages of cooking. She would show me the little holes that form and the air pockets that would gently lift the crepe up. I could tell her when they had reached the exact color and spotting for crepe perfection and should be flipped. My mom can flip a crepe just like you see here in the picture, but I unfortunately never acquired that dexterity. I would get to eat the first couple crepes which always taste great, but even for chefs, never look quite presentable. I still have that excellent recipe, but I no longer use it.

Today, when my mom asks me to make crepes, I use Julia Child's recipe. When we tried her recipe, we realized that as excellent as my mom's French recipe was, Julia's was BETTER! And to this day, despite a few attempted infidelities, Julia's crepe recipe remains the best and most reliable crepe recipe we have used.

The traditional beverage to go with crepes is apple cider, whether it is non-alcoholic, sparkling or hard cider. Dessert crepes can be filled with jam of your choice, chocolate, ice cream, sugar, butter, or fruit. Almost anything sweet your little heart desires can be folded into a dessert crepe, and it is oh so good! A crepe should be as thin as you can possibly make it. Practice will help you make them thinner.

Here is Julia Child's dessert crepe recipe which has become my very own for all these years. I like to double the recipe, or make one batch sweet and one batch savory. I also add the juice of 1 orange, plus the juice of one lemon just like my maternal grandma used to for added flavor.

Julia Child's Crepes Fine Sucrees

Batter for about 18 dessert crepes, 5-6 inches in diameter
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup cold water
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoon orange liqueur, rum or cognac
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (measure by sifting directly into dry-measure cups and leveling off)
5 Tb melted butter

Either whirl all ingredients at top speed in an electric blender for about 1 minute; or gradual work the liquids into the flour with an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat in the dry ingredients, and strain through a fine sieve. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing flour particles to swell and soften. (Note: Since doing this show ["The French Chef"] I have found that the granular "instant blending" flour is a much easier alternative. Place 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons in a mixing bowl, gradually blend in the liquids and then the rest of the ingredients with a wire whip, and you can make the crepes immediately.) Cook the crepes in a 5- to 6-inch no-stick or cast-iron skillet. If batter seems too thick after you've tried your first crepe, beat in a tablespoon or so of water. If made in advance, stack crepes between layers of waxed paper or foil so they will not stick together.

BON APPETIT!

8 comments:

  1. Looks great! I'll have to try crepes next time (which I've never made before) instead of pancakes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. *DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLING*

    You should have a "Drooling Zone" warning sign put up! Lol

    That looks so great though my luck, it'll be more like iron blocks getting flicked up from the pan!

    I have to try it though..I'm kinda afraid to...pout. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  3. Have no fears. Crepes are very easy to make. All you need is patience because you have to make one at a time. Try a half batch for your first time(like my mom always does because she has NO patience). With practice, you will be able to make them thinner and thinner, but unless you simply put in far too much batter, the taste should not be affected. Just remember that it's better too thin than too thick. And most of all, enjoy the new experience. It's FUN!

    Twinkle Mom, you make me laugh with that "Drooling Zone" warning sign! I might take that idea! So many people have been commenting that they are drooling each time they visit. I wonder if I can find something cute and funny. Wouldn't want something gross. Yuck!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those crepes look so good! I now have a new skill to learn: crepe flipping :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh la la, ces crepes sont si bons. J'aime tellement les crepes. Joy tes crepes sont merveilleux. C'est une recette extraordinaire parce que on peut employer pour sa garniture bian des aliments doux comme salés. Je fais souvent des crepes avec par example de jambon et fromage, des fruits de mer, des saumon fumé, des champignons avec de sauce bechamel, et aussi avec des fruits, de crème pâtissière, de creme fouettée, des confitures. Merci beaucoup par tes visites et tes commentaires. À bientôt

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Joy! You are so sweet! Here's my happy thought: my heart goes back to watching my father imitate Julia Child as he watched her show. He loved her! We rarely laughed so hard as during those times.
    Bless You,
    Grace

    ReplyDelete
  7. we make them once in a while! love them with blueberries and whipcream

    ReplyDelete
  8. J'aime beaucoup!

    I think I need to have Julia Child's crepes with nutella for dinner tonight :)

    ReplyDelete

Let's build a friendly community. Thank you for leaving a comment. :-)