Lemon Crepes

We've recently fallen in love with making AND eating a new breakfast food around here. If my Caroline had her way she'd have these yummy crepes daily! She gets them as a special treat once or twice a week, and until recently, the thought of making them made me a little uneasy. They seemed difficult and fancy. But then I saw a recipe in Parents Magazine and just had to try it. It ended up being SO easy and you can make them a zillion different ways. Sweet. Savory. Tart. YUMMMM. Here's how we have customized them around here. (& these have 5g of protein each--and she usually downs three--just in case you were wondering if they'd fill you up!)

LEMON CREPES Found in Parents Magazine Yield: 8 crepes Ingredients (all but the cinnamon and powdered sugar were organic, making ours almost organic crepes!)

• 1 c whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pinch of cinnamon (we load up on cinnamon---she shakes as much as she wants. YUM.)
• Cooking spray (I use butter)
• 3/4 c powdered sugar
• 2-3 lemons quartered

Preparation

• In a blender combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon on top of the liquid ingredients. Cover and blend for 25 to 30 seconds or until just incorporated, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. (this is caroline's favorite part--she is the official crepe ingredient dumper & mixer)
• Coat an 8-inch nonstick skillet (I actually use a larger one, as we like them big and thin) with flared sides with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium (I cook them on low) heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter in the hot skillet and swirl to make a thin even layer. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. (The wetness will dissipate and the crepe will resemble a very soft pancake.)
• Fold the crepe in half, then fold in half again; transfer to a plate. Sprinkle generously with about 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; set aside. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve each crepe with a lemon quarter for squeezing (the lemon juice creates a lemony icing as it mixes with the powdered sugar).

Some tips:

Be sure to blend the eggs into the milk real well before you add the dry ingredients. The batter will look like this:

& not using too much batter is the trickiest part. I like ours really thin (they do taste very similar to a delicious dutch baby pancake if you leave them thick though...maybe I'll teach you how to make one of those next!) Just pour the batter in the middle and pick the pan up and swirl the batter around until all of the skillet is covered. Once it starts to cook, you can see the bubbles and you'll be able to watch the texture changing. Flipping is a breeze with a big spatula. I actually use a "Mater" one from Williams Sonoma (thanks, Jamie!) that caroline insists I use to flip them.

& lastly--the fun part! What to put in it! I am a HUGE lemon lover, so for me, powdered sugar and lemon are perfect. But the other two crepe eaters in this family have a major sweet tooth. We mix it up with the occasional Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips (which I melt after the first flip, on half the crepe before folding it up) or Justin's Nut Butter.

Have you met Justin? You could compare it to Nutella, but that's not the best idea. I have never had Nutella (again, not a major sweet tooth, nor chocolate fan here) but I hear it's delicious. However, Justin's creative packaging totally appealed to my inner health nut, and here's what you should know:

& recently we've added a raspberry perserves & cream cheese version to our menu. My 10 month old can't eat them fast enough! :) The possibilities are endless!

Happy crepe making!

Post by shawna of styleberryBLOG.com

Despite days full of washing diapers & messy fun, Shawna is determined to make mommyhood a stylish adventure. Married to the military & mother to one feisty girl & a snuggly little guy, she is a passionate DIYer & loves sharing how to make the complicated simple. Shawna talks creativity, style, food, decorating, green-chic living & mommyhood atstyleberryBLOG, a daily-ish dose of something fab.

 

Comments

[Kristin]

Your instructions don't mention flipping the crepes, but you do further down in the pictures. How long do you usually need to cook on each side?

[shawna [of styleberryBLOG]]

It all depends on how hot the pan is, whenever you feel like the batter is flippable, use a big spatula to turn them over. It varies!