Get Creative - Make a Crepe

Bonjour Everyone! With the coming of spring, I know everyone's thoughts turn to french food. What? Not yours you say? Hmm. Well, hopefully this post will steer you in that direction. One of my family's favorite meals is crepes. I don't know why I don't cook them more often. (Actually, Paul does the actual cooking of the crepes. He's quite talented.) Crepes are so versatile. You can put anything on them; make them to suit even the pickiest nibbler; and dinner and dessert come from the same batter. So simple. My photos are perhaps not the most tempting, but if anything, it will give you courage to do better.

Here is a delicious crepe batter recipe. I made it combining several others to form just the right combination. You can half, double, or whatever the ingredients to suit your needs. It does help to have a flat, 10 inch frying pan, or a crepe pan or maker, but a normal small pan should do. We're just so la-de-dah we have it all.

For savory filling: we use chopped chicken, crumbled bacon, or here's something easy - cut up lunchmeat. We top it with anything from cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, avacados, mustard, flavored vinegars, you name it.

For dessert: any fruit combination - bananas, berries, mangos, peaches; melted chocolate; powdered sugar; whip cream; sundae toppings...Yummalicious!! Thank goodness I'm making them tomorrow, because I've got the munchies now. Enjoy the recipe and don't be scared to try it...Go for it!

Basic Crepes

3 cups flour

6 Tbsp. sugar (more if only making sweet crepes)

2 1/2 cups milk (if you don't have cream, just use 3 cups milk)

1/2 cup cream
3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup melted butter (not margarine)

8 eggs

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and add the rest of the wet ingredients. Whisk together. Slowly pour wet mixture over dry ingredients, stirring as you pour. On low speed, blend together until smooth. If you have the time, let the thin batter sit for an hour or more. If not, oh well. It will work anyway. Waiting is just the fancy-dancy way to do it. Pour a small amount of batter on a heated pan (medium-high) and quickly spread on pan, usually just tilting the pan around works great, but you can use a crepe spreader or a spatula. Cook for a minute and flip/turn over. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. The first one or two are usually our test crepes and often look quite alien. They are good to munch on while we make the rest. This can take a little practice, but don't get discouraged. After 5 or 6, you'll be a pro and you can show off for family and friends at reunions and house warming parties, or even PTA meetings.

This recipe makes about 16 crepes, depending on how many "test" runs you have to do.