How to Make Crepes - Crepes with Peaches and Cream

Crepes is one of those words that I rarely say correctly. Though I know it is pronounced "krep," rhyming with "step," and the plural "s" is silent, I usually just say "crapes" because that's what most American ears are used to. But however you say it, they are delicious!

Does anyone remember The Magic Pan restaurant chain popular in the 80s? My friends and I simply had to stop in there every time we hit the mall. I was especially fond of their chicken divan crepes. Can't recall my favorite dessert crepes.

I recently received a bottle of Castello di Amorosa Moscato Il Raggio del Sole, and I immediately thought something peachy would pair perfectly with a 4-ounce pour of this lightly sweet dessert wine. Then I thought of crepes. It's been too long since I last made crepes, so I dug out my recipe and wondered how many "test" crepes I'd have to make before I got the hang of it again!

Turns out, none! Which only goes to show that making crepes is like riding a bicycle. Once you get the hang of it, you never lose it. The key is mastering "The Swirl," described below in the directions. I think I actually begin the swirl before all the batter is even out of the measuring cup and into the pan. 

Speaking of the pan: Maybe it's one of those anti-everything all-natural organic old hippie chick things, but I'm not crazy about (translation: I hate) nonstick pans. But ... I do have one nonstick pan in my cupboard -- an 8-inch nonstick omelette pan that I use just for omelettes and crepes.

The recipe makes 18 crepes. Even if you don't need that many right now, make the whole amount. Having a stash on hand -- for a few days in the fridge or a couple months in the freezer -- will mean you can turn out a "fancy" dessert in minutes on very short notice.

Do you like to make crepes? Sweet or savory? Tell me what fillings you like.

Please Pin it and share it!

Crepes

The Crepes

(Makes 18 6-inch crepes)

2/3 cup (5.33 fluid ounces/158 ml) milk
2/3 cup (5.33 fluid ounces/158 ml) water
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar (omit when making savory crepes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dip-and-sweep cup (5 ounces/142 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

The Fresh Fruit Filling

Thinly sliced perfectly ripe yellow peaches or other soft fruit
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sugar

The Garnish

Powdered sugar
Whipped cream

1 Put crepe ingredients in order listed into the blender. Blend on medium to high speed, depending on how powerful your blender is, for 10 to 20 seconds. Scrape sides, and blend another 3 seconds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. If batter has thickened, it may be thinned with a bit of milk or water (a teaspoon at a time) just before using. The batter (about 2 1/4 cups) should be about as thick as heavy cream.

Tip: Or use an immersion blender in a 1-quart glass measuring cup, as I prefer; pulse until batter is smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice, about 20 seconds total.

2 Crepes can be made any size, but I use an 8-inch nonstick omelette pan or 8-inch nonstick fry pan to make 6-inch dessert crepes. Heat pan over medium-low to medium heat until thoroughly heated (droplets of water sprinkled onto the pan will sizzle and disappear immediately), about 2 minutes. Brush lightly with just a little melted or softened butter (I use the OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Brush). 

Here it is now, The  Swirl: Holding pan off heat, quickly pour into the center of the pan 1/8 cup of batter, and immediately begin swirling, tilting and rolling, the pan until the batter covers the bottom of the pan evenly. Cook for about 30 to 60 seconds, or until browned on the bottom and looking dry on the top, especially the edge. Using both hands, lift the edge with your fingers and turn it over. The second side will need less time to cook.

Tip: I use a 1/8-cup from my stainless steel measuring cup set. It is exactly the right amount to make crepes that are just a bit over 6 inches in diameter. And I use the GIR silicone mini spatula to start lifting the edge, then take hold of it with the thumb and index finger of both hands and quickly flip it over.

3 Repeat until all the batter is used. This recipe makes precisely enough batter for 18 crepes, but you will need to scrape the bowl to get that last 1/8 cup. Stack on a plate and store, wrapped, in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to 2 or 3 days; may also be frozen for up to 2 months. Let refrigerated crepes stand at room temperature for about an hour before proceeding. Allow frozen crepes to thaw completely before unwrapping and separating.

4 Prepare a dessert filling; in this case, fresh peach filling. You need only about 3 or 4 tablespoons of filling per crepe, and there are 2 crepes per serving. So do the math. If you are making dessert for two (that's 4 crepes), thinly slice enough peaches to make 1 cup or so. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sugar to taste; let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to macerate.

You can even cook the macerated filling for 4 or 5 minutes if you prefer your peaches cooked. It's definitely the way to go when your peaches are less than stellar.

5 To assemble: Lay down a crepe, pretty side down (that's the first side cooked), spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of fruit onto one half. Fold over other half to cover. Fold in half again to form a wedge (that's the "Crepes Suzette fold"). Place 2 crepes on each dessert plate. Dust with powdered sugar and add a spoon or two of whipped cream.

Disclosure: Some posts contain links to my affiliate account at Amazon. If you purchase something from Amazon through one of my links, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use toward the expenses of running this blog. Thanks for supporting Delightful Repast when you shop at Amazon!

Jean