Crepe dessert at Le Grand Cafe Des Capucines in Paris
CREPES A GOGO
Don’t forget! February 2nd is Crepe Day! It’s called la Chandeleur or candlelight Holyday. This day celebrates the presentation of Baby Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after He was born.
French people love to eat crepes all year around! The tradition is to drink French Brut apple cider (bubbly) served into small bowls, called “la bolee”.
There are different kinds of crepes that can be made:
– Regular crepes’ batter,
– Galettes de Sarrasin (made with black wheat flour, originate from Brittany),
– Mix 2 kinds of flour (all-purpose and black wheat flours).
When you visit Paris, go to the 14th Arrondissement to eat the true Galette de Sarrasin from Brittany!
CREPES
For about 15 crepes:
3 large eggs
2 ¾ cups of milk
1 ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
1 tsp of unsalted butter for cooking each crepe
Sift the flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl of a mixer, beat the 3 eggs for 2 minutes.
Add the oil to the milk.
Pour, alternately, milk, oil and flour to the eggs. Add the pinch of salt and blend until smooth (about 7 minutes).
Transfer to a bowl, cover with foil and let stand overnight or for at least 3 hours.
The next day, grease a 10 inches frying pan or better a crepe pan. Over medium high heat, melt 1 tsp of unsalted butter and pour evenly the batter with a ladle. Cook for about 2 minutes, until golden brown. Flip the crepe and cook 2 more minutes.
To make the galettes de Sarrasin (black wheat flour that doesn’t contain gluten):
Substitute the all-purpose flour by the same amount of black wheat flour and use water instead of milk.
The batter has to be whisked for 7 to 8 minutes to obtain light and digest crepes.
Crepes with both kinds of flour:
3 eggs
1 ¾ cup of water
1 ½ cup of milk
5 ¼ oz of black wheat flour
3.5 oz of all-purpose flour
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
The preparation will be similar as the regular crepes’ recipe above.
Enjoy with your favorite topping! These are a few easy and delicious ways to compliment your crepe or galette:
Cut some little pieces of smoked ham and add some shredded Swiss cheese when you cook the second side of the crepe, warm up until the cheese is melted. Roll the crepe and cook until crispy. It’s so good!
For the sweet tooth:
Cut half a banana into pieces and add a tbsp of Nutella when you cook the second side of the crepe, warm up until the chocolate is melting. Roll the crepe and cook until crispy. Delicious! My Favorite!
Top with some chestnut spread, caramel or dulche de leche, jam, sugar and melted butter, fresh fruits, flambé with butter, banana and rum, caramelized apples… the list is endless, or if you have more time, I give you some more recipes that are really delicious:
FICELLES PICARDES
This regional recipe is originated from Picardie, situated in the Northern France.
Use the recipe for the regular crepes (made the day before or a few hours in advance)
For the filling, serving 6:
8 oz white whole mushrooms cut and minced into small pieces
6 thin slices of ham
4 ¼ oz of shredded Gruyere
¾ cup of heavy cream
2 shallots minced
2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp of unsalted butter + 1 tsp for the baking dish
Salt and pepper
In a medium frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the shallots until golden, add the mushrooms, the lemon juice and cook until the mushrooms are out of their water. Add ¼ cup of heavy cream, salt and pepper and set aside for 2 hours.
Cook the crepes and set aside for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven at 430 F.
Take each crepe and add ½ slice of ham, 1 to 2 tbsp of mushrooms cream.
Roll each crepe.
Grease an oven proof dish with a tsp of butter, display the rolled crepes, cover with ½ cup of heavy cream and spread evenly the Gruyere cheese.
Put the dish in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the broiler on high and cook the crepes for 5 more minutes or until the cheese and cream are bubbly. And voila, it’s ready!
CREPES SUZETTE
Enjoy a little dessert wine such as Sauternes, sweet white wine from Bordeaux or a French spirit such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier!
Crepes’ batter+ 1 packet of vanilla sugar (made the day before or a few hours in advance)
3 clementines or tangerines
3.5 oz unsalted butter
3 oz of sugar
½ cup of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Curacao
Add the vanilla sugar to the batter. Let stand for 2 hours.
Wash the clementines or tangerines and peel the zest.
Squeeze the fruits to extract their juices.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Add the sugar, the juice from the fruits, half the liquor and the zest.
Stop the heat and whisk well until smooth (about 5 minutes).
In a 10 inches crepes’pan or frying pan, melt 1 tsp of unsalted butter on medium/high heat and spread evenly some batter. Cook 2 minutes on each side and add some of the liquored butter all over the crepe. Repeat for each crepe.
Fold each crepe in half and again in half, to obtain little triangles. Keep warm.
To serve, warm up the rest of the liquor, pour it over the crepes and flambé!
CREPES FANCHON
Crepes’ batter (made a day before or a few hours in advance)
2 oranges
4 3/8 oz of unsalted butter
3 tbsp of sugar
3 tbsp of rum or cognac
Preheat the oven at 400 F.
Extract the juice from the oranges.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on low heat.
Add the sugar and orange juice. Turn the heat on medium and bring to a boil. Stop the heat. Add the rum or cognac and whisk for 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce in an oven proof dish, put each crepe into the sauce and fold into a triangle. Display all the crepes into the dish and warm up in the oven for 5 or 6 minutes. Serve hot!
CREPES GEORGETTE
Crepes’ batter (made the day before or a few hours in advance)
½ jar of apricot marmalade
1/3 cup of Kirsch or Cherry Brandy
½ pineapple cut into small pieces
1 ½ tbsp of unsalted butter + 1 tbsp for baking dish
2 5/8 oz of Confectioners’ sugar
Marinate the pieces of pineapple with the Kirsch for an hour.
Preheat the oven at 200 F.
Grease an oven proof dish with 1 tbsp of butter.
Make the crepes and keep them warm in the dish covered with aluminum foil.
Add the apricot marmalade to the pineapple marinated with kirsch, mix well and spread each crepe with the mixture.
Turn the heat to 350 F.
Fold each crepe into a triangle, display them into the dish, sprinkle with the Confectioners’ sugar and bake a few minutes until hot.
Enjoy!
CREPES MYLENE
Crepes’ batter (made the day before or a few hours in advance) + the juice of ½ a lemon and 1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of sugar
4 poached pears or in a can of syrup
2 oranges
½ a lemon
1/3 cup of plum brandy
3.5 oz of sliced almonds
5 tbsp of unsalted butter
5 ¼ oz of sugar
Add the juice of ½ the lemon and 1 tbsp of sugar to the batter.
Cut the pears into thin slices.
Toast the almonds in a small frying pan until golden brown.
Extract the juice from oranges and ½ the lemon.
Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the juice from the oranges and ½ the lemon and sugar. Whisk for about 5 minutes to obtain a good consistency for the sauce. Add half of the plum brandy and stir for 1 or 2 minutes.
Preheat the oven at 200 F.
Pour the sauce into an oven proof dish and place into the oven.
Cook the crepes and keep them warm under an aluminum foil. When all the crepes are made, place a few slices of pear into each ones. Roll them and place each crepes into the warm sauce and turn to coat them well.
Warm up the rest of the plum brandy, spread over the crepes and flambé!
Coat with the toasted almonds and serve promptly!