Crepes

For my recipe from my grandmother's cookbooks this week, I decided to get one from Crepes & Omelets. I had the day off and it was my husband's first day of his three week break from school, so a leisurely breakfast seemed to be in order.

We only had four eggs left, so I figured omelets wouldn't work too well (plus we were seriously lacking in the cheese department of the fridge), so I decided to make crepes. It was grocery shopping day, and we basically had no food left, so I decided to use the last of the strawberries and make dessert crepes.

...Well, the strawberries apparently went bad overnight. BUT, we had a ton of frozen fruit, so it worked out. Anyway, here is the dessert crepe recipe (I cut it in half and got about 5 crepes, but mine were a little thick and I spilled some batter):

2 eggs
2 tbs. melted butter
1-1/4 cups milk
2 tbs. brandy or orange liqueur (I made some brandy crème brûlée about a year ago, and that's the only reason I had either of these ingredients on hand)
1 tbs. sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Place ingredients in blender container in the order listed (I did this with my Magic Bullet and failed to realize I should reverse the order...oops. It worked out though, so no worries!). Blend at high speed 20 to 30 seconds (or 10 seconds or less in your Magic Bullet!). Scrape down sides of the container. Blend a few more seconds.

Pan preparation: If using a no-stick spray shortening, spray pan before heating. Before cooking first crepe put 1/2 teaspoon butter into pan. If the pan is well seasoned it should not be necessary to add more butter for each crepe.
Pan temperature: Crepe pan is at the correct temperature when the batter sizzles slightly when poured into the pan, and a crepe will cook on one side in approximately 1 minute. Crepes should be pale in color, not dark brown (mine were mostly pale with brown highlights).
To cook crepes: Two or three tablespoons of batter is usually enough to cover the bottom of a 6- to 7-inch crepe pan. If necessary, adjust the amount needed for the pan you are using. Pour batter and quickly tilt the pan so the batter covers the bottom entirely. If you have put in more than just a thin coating, pour excess back into the bowl. this will leave a small flap on the crepe but it won't be noticed when the crepe is filled and folded.
When to turn: The crepe is ready to turn when it begins to set and crisp around the edges. Loosen around the edge with a spatula or knife so you have a starting place to pick up the crepe with your fingers, them simply flip it over. If preferred, carefully turn with a spatula (or, if you're an expert egg flipper like me, just flip the crepe like over easy eggs). Should it start to tear when picked up, it may not be cooked enough to turn. Cook a few seconds longer and try again.
After the crepes are cooked: Stack cooked crepes on a plate. They will be easier to separate if they are not placed squarely on top of each other. It is not necessary to put foil or waxed paper between each crepe. Makes 16 to 20 5-inch crepes.

So I filled my two crepes with frozen strawberries and mangoes, and the warmth of the crepe defrosted the fruit a bit to make it just the right temperature. My husband ate his three crepes with Karo syrup. He said, "They were okay... but there wasn't much to them." I told him to put fruit on them next time... duh.

I liked this book and I thought this was a great basic crepe recipe, but there's a lot of random ingredients in most of the recipes, so I think next time I use the book I'm going to have to plan ahead. There's also recipes for blintzes and frittata, and I definitely want to try those at some point too. I think next week I'll try out something from the ancient PTA cookbook. Wish me luck in advance.