Best Crepes (Pannekoek) Ever Recipes...

by Katie Waldeck

These lacy French delights are an amazing and versatile treat. And they’re easy to make at home! It’ll take some time to get the hang of evenly coating the pan with batter and successfully flipping the crepe over, but this recipe makes about 30 crepes so you’ll have some time to practice!

After trying out a few different recipes, I finally found the perfect version. It comes from the venerable Alice Waters, and is complete with a “secret” ingredient — beer! Check out the next page for the recipe.

Basic Crepe Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 c. milk 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp sugar 
• 4 tbs unsalted butter, & more for pan/serving 
• 1 1/4 c. flour (all-purpose 
• 1 tbs grapeseed oil (vegetable oil works too) 
• 3 large eggs 
• 1/2 c. beer 

Instructions:

1. The night before, make the batter:
2. Heat milk, sugar, salt & butter in a medium saucepan. When the butter is melted, remove from heat and let cool until the mixture is at room temperature.
3. In a medium bowl, place the flour. Make the flour into a well at the center and add eggs and oil onto the well. Beat the batter for about 2-3 minutes, until it’s too stiff to beat anymore & the batter is smooth.
4. Slowly add milk mixture to the flour mixture little by little and beat until batter is smooth.
5. Strain batter with a sieve and whisk beer into it. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day:

1. Heat crepe pan**** over medium. When a drop of water sizzles on the pan, it’s ready to use. Rub pan with a dab of butter (wipe off any extra butter with a paper towel.)
2. In the center of the pan, ladle out about 2 tablespoons of batter. Tilt the pan to cover the bottom with batter that’s as even and thin as possible. Brown crepe lightly for about 1-2 minutes, and flip (gently!) to the other side to brown for another minute or so. Repeat!
3. Add desired toppings (see next page for ideas) and serve. Enjoy!

**** I actually used a regular frying pan and it worked just fine!

Topping Ideas

• Fresh-squeezed lemon, powdered sugar & rasberry jam (Alice Water’s pick!) 
• Banana and nutella 
• Pineapple, mango & papaya with rum butter sauce (see recipe below for this sauce...)
• Peanut butter, banana, chocolate syrup 
• Cinnamon, apple, brown sugar 
• Peanut butter, banana, honey 
• Strawberry, kiwi, honey 
• Peanut butter & jam 
• Blueberry sauce & ricotta cheese 

Tropical Fruit Crepes with Vanilla Bean and Rum Butter Sauce
RECIPE BY Jill Silverman and Sarah Tenaglia

Ingredients for Crepes:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Rum Butter Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons dark rum

Tropical Fruit:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup 3/4-inch cubes peeled fresh pineapple
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 cup 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded papaya (from about 1 large)
• 1 cup 3/4-inch cubes peeled pitted mango (from about 1 large)

Preparation for Crepes:
Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. DO AHEAD Crepe batter can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reblend before using.

Line plate with paper towel or parchment paper. Heat 9-inch-diameter nonstick skillet with 7-inch-diameter bottom over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons crepe batter to skillet; tilt and swirl skillet to spread batter evenly over bottom. Cook until center of crepe is cooked through and edges are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Run spatula around crepe and invert onto prepared paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter, placing paper towels or parchment paper between crepes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

For Rum Butter Sauce:
Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and salt in medium bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add rum and beat until well blended. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

For Tropical Fruit:
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple to skillet and scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add sugar and salt; stir until sugar dissolves and pineapple and pan juices are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Remove from heat. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place crepe stack (with paper towels between crepes) on rimmed baking sheet. Cover baking sheet with foil; warm crepes in oven until heated through, about 15 minutes. Place rum butter sauce mixture in small saucepan; heat over medium heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Rewarm tropical fruit mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in papaya and mango.

Place 1 crepe on plate, browned side down. Spoon 2 teaspoons rum butter sauce over crepe, then fold crepe into quarters. Repeat with 2 more crepes on same plate. Spoon tropical fruit over. Repeat with remaining crepes, rum butter sauce, and tropical fruit, placing 3 crepes on each of 6 plates. Spoon any remaining rum butter sauce over crepes and serve.