crepes

How To Make Crepes.

February 2, 2010 · 73 comments

…without a crepe pan!

 

I don’t own a crepe pan. If I stuff one more appliance, utensil, pot or pan into my kitchen it will spontaneously combust.

It will also qualify me to be on Hoarders.

 

Up until New Year’s Eve, I had never eaten a crepe. I know, I know – what kind of foodie am I?

Then Barb made those fantastic, addicting ice cream crepes, and I’m not sure if I should hug her or hate her for introducing me to crepes. After all, we did eat then entire pan of ice cream crepes that she helped me make the next day.  And by we, I really mean I.

And on New Year’s Eve, my husband had 6 of her crepes for dessert. I definitely have a partner in crime.

 

Since I had never made crepes before, I was struck with fear that they would turn out terribly. I can’t make pancakes. I can’t make omelets. For some reason, I felt like both of those things were prerequisites to making crepes.

Oh, and the big one – I HAVE ZERO PATIENCE.  What is patience? I don’t even know what that word means. And no, I don’t want to learn. I’d rather sit in my pool of ignorance and throw tantrums mid-cook.

Thank goodness Barb was there to take me down a notch.

My husband was thankful, too.

 

 

Anyway …

These crepes are fabulous. I’ve mentioned Barb’s husband, Jack, before and told you what an amazing chef he was. He also headed up the US Olympic chef team for many years – if that doesn’t scream ‘incredible food’, what does?

 

So, one bright, sunny morning in early January, Barb taught me how to make crepes. Yes – there are a few discrepancies in that sentence, because ‘bright,’ ‘sunny,’ and ‘January’ aren’t exactly the proper words to describe Pittsburgh.

Oh, well. I thought you needed a visual.

 

 

Since I do not own a crepe pan, I used a large skillet. This ensured that the edges would not be rounded or flipped over. Barb taught me that. Thanks, Barb.

 

Heat the skillet on medium heat. The first crepe is almost always a ‘test’ crepe. Once you get going, the remaining crepes will turn out beautifully.

 

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out the batter and pour it into the skillet. This way, all of our crepes will be around the same size.

 

Pour it into the pan like so:

 

Now comes the fun part. Or, if you are Type A like myself, the anxiety-inducing part that causes slight panic attacks.

 

Pick up the pan and swirl that baby around:

 

 

Until it looks like this:

Then, allow it to cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. You will definitely be able to tell when it is finished. You have 2 options: 1.) Let it cook fully on one side and remove it from the pan, or 2.) Flip it once which gives the other side a golden-brown color. Either way works perfectly fine.

To remove the crepe from the pan, lightly slide a spatula under one side. It may feel like it will break, but it won’t!

 

They come out looking pretty, like so:

 

Place a piece of wax paper on top of each crepe while finishing up with the remaining batter. This ensures that the crepes won’t stick together and rip apart.

 

 

Then, do naughty, mouth-watering, waist-fattening thing to it, like this:

 

You are most likely going to see many more crepe recipes pop up, due to my wild obsession with them.

Until then, try out this incredible recipe from Barb. They truly are the best crepes ever. Thanks, Barb! :)

 

 

Crepes

makes 12-14 crepes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 eggs

Sift dry ingredients together. Mis wet ingredients (except melted butter), making sure eggs are beat throroughly. Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir until all lumps are gone. Stir in melted butter.

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Melt butter, add olive oil, or use an oil spray to coat the pan. Add batter with a 1/4 cup measuring cup to the hot skillet. Let cook for about 30-60 seconds.

Remove and store inbetween wax paper while cooking the remaining crepes.

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A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a tastebud-tantilizing dessert – the ice cream crepe. I fill it with vanilla ice cream and topped it with pureed fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

Then I proceeded to make 14 of them and polish them off by the end of the weekend.

 

 

Can you blame me?

 

So I didn’t stuff all 14 crepes with vanilla ice cream that weekend.

I stuffed some with coffee ice cream!

 

Starbucks Java Chip ice cream, to be exact.

 

Oh, and I topped them with some thick, gooey, homemade chocolate fudge sauce.

Because I do everything in life excessively.

 

 

Coffee Ice Cream Crepes

6-8 crepes

1 pint coffee ice cream

Let ice cream sit out and soften for 10-15 minutes. Scoop out 1/8-1/4 of a cup and place in the middle of the crepe. Repeat with others. Freeze for 1 hour. Top with chocolate sauce.

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce.

 

 

You don’t even want to know how good this was. So, so, so good, that I think you should drop what you are doing and go make them right this instant.

I will be over soon for dessert.

 

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{ 60 comments }

Ice Cream Crepes.

January 4, 2010 · 57 comments

Please update your google readers!! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp

 

After laying on the couch for 7 hours on New Year’s Eve, I threw on some of my classiest XXL sweat pants, a dirty sweatshirt from the 70′s, put my hair up on top of my head, and with no makeup on went to my aunt and uncle’s house to ring in the new year.

I think my husband loves having such a fashionable, lady-like wife.

 

Once we had sufficiently stuffed ourselves with appetizers that had sat out for 3 hours, my aunt brought out this amazing dessert.

Our friend Barb had made these incredible ice cream crepes. She is incredible, almost single-handedly planning my wedding and making it an amazing, memorable day.

I’m sure it was just as memorable for her, since she spent the majority of the evening in the restroom with Mother Lovett who needed help with her girdle.

 

These ice cream crepes were honestly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. I think my husband agreed, because he had 6 of them. I’m so glad I’m not alone in my gluttonous adventures.

The crepes were very simple and fresh tasting – perfect after all of the heavy holiday food.

 

This was the first time I had 1.) eaten crepes and 2.) made crepes.

I was so intimidated by them before, but now I am obsessed. I think a ‘how to make crepes’ post is in the very near future.

Have you ever made them? Love.

 

The ice cream crepes are so easy: take a fresh, cooled crepe and lay it on a plate.

IMG_3077

 

 

Scoop some ice cream in the center.

IMG_3078

I used triple vanilla ice cream – it had vanilla bean, french vanilla, and regular vanilla. Who knew they were all different? If you are a foodie, you know.

 

The toppings come next.

IMG_3085

 

If there was ever a dessert to make the Heavens open, this is it. Just look at this. It may just be the dessert that would make me give up all other desserts.

 

I doubt it, but it really is phenomenal.

 

 

Ice Cream Crepes

12-14 fresh crepes (recipe coming soon)

1/2 gallon on vanilla ice cream

2 cups freshly pureed strawberries

raspberries + blueberries to top.

Scoop ice cream into center of crepe. Roll crepe like a burrito, and place in a large baking dish. Place in the freezer to harden.

Once hard, remove crepes and shape them if needed. Sometime the ice cream needs to be pushed around to look pretty. Let sit out for 5 minutes to soften a bit.

Top with pureed strawberries, fresh raspberries and blueberries.

IMG_3086

I am not even a huge fan of ice cream, and these are just simply incredible. They can also be made more figure-friendly: substitute frozen yogurt for the ice cream. It’s a perfect light dessert for the new year!

 

See that ice cream oozing out? Pure heaven.

IMG_3090

 

Please make these today. They will make you a better person.

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