We’re talking Crepes here friends, not creeps. I promise. This week The Usual Suspects and I are delving into the wonderful world of crepes to celebrate the diversity of this fanciful little pancake. Sweet or savory these pancakes add a dash of class to any brunch spread. And contrary to popular belief – they are not as difficult as they appear. And by not difficulty – they’re freakin’ easy!

And with the tutelage of America’s Test Kitchen, you know you can’t go wrong.

This week the whole kit and caboodle of us are teaming up with America’s Test Kitchen to showcase the perfect crepe, give you the tips and tricks to make crepes like the pros and absolutely rock the socks off your brunch guests.

For #CrepeWeek kickoff, I wanted to keep it simple and fresh, so I added booze to it. Oh yeah, and lots of fruit. With so many berries and stone fruits being available I grabbed one of everything at the store, diced and sliced like a bad infomercial and poured a heavy hand of Grand Marnier over the top to seal the deal. And with a little Blackberry Grand Marnier jam in the middle of the crepes there were angels tap dancing on my tastebuds.

But to make sure I had all the right skillz, yes this warrants a “z” – I had to go straight to the source to make sure these were an epic success rather than an epic failure.

I had the chance to chat with ATK’s crepe developer Andrea to find out all the necessary tips and tricks that went into the perfect crepe. It was enlightening.

The first and perhaps most important tip imparted on us was that heating your non-stick pan for 10 minutes on low heat before making your crepes was key. It will give your pan ample opportunity to heat throughly and evenly, putting a halt to the temperature roller coaster that typically plagues pans when you make multiple batches of anything. What’s worse than unevenly cooked crepes – Nothing. Except having a house devoid of chocolate when you’re jonesing for a piece.

Next, mix your wet and dry ingredients together in two batches. Don’t just throw them both together all at once! Second worst thing about failure crepes? Lumpy batter. No one wants that. Splitting the whisking of the wet ingredients in with the dry in two separate batches ensures you get a smooth batter that will yield supermodel worthy crepes. Hey Kate Moss, nothing tastes a good as skinny feels? False. Perfect crepes do!!

And don’t fret about investing in crepe specific pans. Andrea told me that even Great Aunt Julia Child use a good ‘ol basic non-stick pan. If its good enough for Aunt Julia, its good enough for us!

Lastly, with the high liquid to flour ratio – there isn’t enough time or flour content to promote the formation of gluten in the batter. You can use whatever all purpose flour you have laying around for these without worrying about them becoming to tough.

So when you get around to pouring that little dollop of batter into the pan, swirl your pan around in the most artistic fashion you can, with the batter slowly coating the entire bottom of the pan. Let your crepes cook for about 1 minute on one side, until they become golden brown – and turn them with a spatula under the edge to lift the crepe away from the pan and use your fingers to flip it over! Be bold, be daring and be dexterous.

The whole spatula flip maneuver can go sour in a second, so use your phalanges and be the daredevil inside you were meant to be.

These delicate pancakes aren’t something to be afraid of. Make a batch, or two for practice – and eat the results. There is nothing unfortunate about a cooking experiment you get to devour afterwards. Hone your skills and perfect your coat-the-pan-in-batter wrist flourish. You’ll be a culinary rockstar yet.

Don’t forget to check out any of the other fabulous crepes this week from:

Monday: 

Kirsten – Tuscan Crepes

Moi – Mixed Berry Grand Marnier Crepes

Tuesday:

Kat from Tenaciously Yours – Southwest Crepes with Cilantro Pesto

Jeanne from Inside Nana Bread’s Heat – Lemon Cream Crepe Cake for Two

Wednesday: 

Lauren from Climbing Grier Mountain – Herbed Goat Cheese Crepes

Madeline from Munching in the Mitten – Blueberry Lemon Crepes

Thursday:

Carrie from Bakeaholic Mama – Vermonter Crepes with Ham and Cheese

Katie from Hill Country Cook – Sweet Crepes

Friday:

Monica from The Grommom – Prosciutto and Asparagus Crepes

Mads from Le Petite Pancake – Strawberry Crepes Au Lait

Saturday:

Allison from Decadent Philistines – Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Crepes

Anne from My Sweet Heart – Red Velvet Crepes with Mascarpone.

Print
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Mixed Berry Grand Marnier Crepes – Crepe Week

  • Author: Megan
  • Prep Time: 20 MInutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: French
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

Berries:

1 pound Strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 cups Blueberries
2 Peaches, diced
3 Tbsp Grand Marnier
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Orange Zest

Crepes:

1/2 tsp Vegetable Oil
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup Whole Milk
3 large Eggs
2 Tbsp Butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup Blackberry Grand Marnier Jam

Instructions

Berries:
In large bowl, mix together berries. Pour Grand Marnier over the top. Sprinkle with sugar. Mix to evenly coat berries. Place in fridge for one hour, stirring occasionally. Keep chilled
Crepes:
Place oil in large nonstick skillet and heat over low for at least 10 minutes to throughly heat the pan.
In large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in other half of the milk/egg mixture until smooth and fully incorporated.
With a paper towel spread heated oil around the non-stick skillet. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 more minute. Test heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if the crepe burns or does not brown, adjust the heat of the skillet to accommodate.
4. Pour 1/4 cup batter into far side of pan and swirl gently until batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crêpe without moving it until top surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. Place the done crepes on a wire rack to cool and allow steam to wear off.
When done plate the crêpes on a large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave on high power until crêpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds (45 to 60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe dry with paper towel.

Keywords: Crepe, Berries, Fruit, French