Crêpes

Crêpes (pronounced either "krape" or "krep") are thin French pancakes that have a soft and tender texture. They are not that different from an American pancake in taste and texture. Make the batter ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two. Alternatively, make the crêpes a few days ahead and then just reheat them in a warm skillet without any noticeable loss in quality. Suggested ways to serve the sweet crêpes, are with fruit sauces (blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry), lemon curd, jams (homemade or store bought), maple syrup, chocolate sauce, dulce de leche or Nutella with sliced bananas. You can roll crêpes or fold them into quarters.

A crêpe batter is made very easily in the blender or food processor. On the other hand, prepare by hand with a wire whisk (strain the batter if there are lumps). The batter should have the consistency of light cream. Once made, chill the batter (at least an hour although it can be stored up to two days).

To cook the crêpe, use a non-stick frying pan (8, 9, or 10 inch - 20, 23, 25 cm). Heat the pan over medium heat, or until a little batter or water sprinkled on the pan, sizzles. Lightly butter the pan, and then add just enough batter so once the pan is tilted and swirled, the batter forms a thin layer. If the batter is setting before you can spread the batter over the surface of the pan, reduce the heat. Conversely, if it does not set fast enough, increase the heat. In addition, if there is too much batter so that it forms a thick crêpe, pour the excess back into your bowl.