Delicious Crepes Revisited

Why are the easiest things the most difficult for me to cook? Not sure, but only recently have I mastered boiled eggs and today CREPES. Jared grew up with crepes/swedish pancakes every Sunday. For some reason, his family recipe eludes me. But then I grabbed this recipe from my friend, Patrice, and varied it slightly, and we loved them and I feel so successful. Try these, especially if you have the same simple cook issues as I.

Update (March 11, 2012): I've revisited again and this new recipe is now my favorite. I'll include the older one below in case I decide to return to the old (or I don't have heavy whipping cream), but these I want to make right now.

NEW and improved:
3 eggs
1/4 c almond milk
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c water
1/4 c whole wheat flour (or power flour)
1/2 c white flour
1/2 t salt

Old recipe:
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
3 T melted butter (I halfed this)
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c flour (white)
1/2 t salt

yields: 9 crepes

Heat stove on medium low (I put my gas stove at 3). Whisk eggs vigorously. Then add each ingredient, whisking vigorously in between. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto metal pan (we have a flat pan banked slightly on the sides with a red dot in the middle that tells me where to pour which I appreicate). Swirl batter around to cover area of pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Flip over. Cook another minute or two. Add sugar, extra butter, or nothing, and roll up and place on plate (I keep the plate heated in the oven at 200).

Serve with syrup, whipped cream, Nutella, berries, bananas, anything. Or go savory with other items like ham, sour cream, spinach, caramelized onions.

Swedish Pancakes

It's been a crazy summer and I haven't even really been home to cook. But today, I thought I'd try my version of a Swedish pancake/crepe. They were so good! I think next time I'll half the butter (which I'm posting the recipe with only half the butter in it, so you could in theory double it and they'd be good).

• 2 large eggs
• 2 c milk
• 1 c all purpose flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T melted butter
• Oil for griddle (if needed - I had a nonstick pan and the butter was enough to flip them over)
• Sides of fruit, Nutella, jam, and some like sour cream

Directions
Preheat a Swedish pancake pan (round, cast-iron pan) over medium heat.

Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the milk mixture, stirring to make a thin batter. I hear you shouldn't overmix it, but I had to in order to get the lumps out. Fold in the melted butter.

Grease pan with oil if needed. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the middle of the pan and swirl around to cover the bottom of pan. Will be a very thin layer of batter. Cook until bubbles form on the top, about 1-2 minutes. Turn with a spatula (or be spicy and try to flip it like Emeril) and cook on the second side until golden, about 1 minute. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.

Here was my favorite: After I flipped the pancake in the pan, I covered the cooked side with Nutella and bananas, and let it all heat up in the crepe. When the other side was finished, I folded the pancake in half and slid it onto my plate. Perfect!


Serve hot with all toppings.

Banana-nut Pancakes

I did it! I finally made pancakes that were actually good. Like REALLY good. I think the secret is buttermilk and waiting extra long to heat my griddle. I turn the stovetop to medium for about 5 minutes and then turn it down a couple of notches for another 10 minutes or at least until I have everything all mixed up (maybe not quite 10 minutes).

We had some leftover bananas and I wanted to make some healthy banana-nut pancakes. Although these aren't completely gluten-free yadda yadda, there is some whole wheat flour in there, along with sprinkled walnuts on top. Also, I've been reducing or omitting the salt and sugar in recipes lately. We don't notice a huge difference. The recipe calls for pecans on top, but walnuts were great for that little extra crunch.
(adapted from Sunset magazine)

Notes: If desired, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon chopped pecans on each pancake after adding banana slices. Serve pancakes with butter and warm maple syrup or a dusting of cinnamon-sugar.

Yield: Makes 12 pancakes; 4 to 6 servings

• 3/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 6  tablespoons  whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  baking powder
• 3/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  large egg
• 1 1/2  cups  buttermilk
• About 3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
• 2  ripe bananas (3/4 to 1 lb. total), peeled and thinly sliced

In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk to blend eggs, buttermilk, and 3 tablespoons butter. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until batter is evenly moistened.

Ladle batter, 1/4 cup at a time, onto a lightly buttered medium-hot (350°) griddle or lightly buttered 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan (or use 2 pans at the same time) over medium heat. Scatter 3 to 5 banana slices onto each pancake and cook until edges of the cake look dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn with a wide spatula and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 or 4 minutes longer.

Serve pancakes immediately, or place in a single layer on baking sheets and keep warm in a 200° regular or convection oven until all are cooked.

Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Oh I love breakfast! When I  lived in Huntington Beach, we had a million different breakfast nooks to try. There was one such place in Newport Beach that was a tiny little cafe with amazing pancakes. My roommate and I set out to create our own and this is what we have. I made them the other morning for Jared and he loved them (hint: make sure to warn your husband that there is cheese in them so he won't be freaked by how soft they are).

1 3/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese (15oz)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp grated orange zest (1 orange)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbl canola oil
powdered sugar or maple syrup

In medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, orange zest. Stir in 2/3 cup all-purpose flour until just combined.

Heat 3 T canola oil in a large non-stick over med-low heat.

Working in batches (and adding more oil to skillet as needed), add batter, using 1/4 cup per pancake.

Cook until browned (4 to 5 minute per side)

Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain

Serve hot, dusted with confectioner's sugar or drizzled with maples syrup, side of orange, and anything else for breakfast.

Makes 4 servings