Make Crepes your New Family Tradition

Most families have food traditions; ours is making crepes on Sunday. The tradition came from my husband, who grew up in France, made crêpes every Wednesday after school, and would enjoy every one—simply with butter and sugar. The tradition has now carried on to our grown kids, who have their own crêpe pans and are making their own traditions and fillings.

(Note: I received a cheese subscription from Dairy Max as part of their Quarantine Cooking Project. However the recipes and ideas here are my own!)

However, one of my first memories of eating crêpes was years before I met my hubby—at a crêpe stand in Paris. There the crêpes are made on a large hot plate, folded into quarters and served with an abundance of “accoutrements” that are not as common here such as Crème de Marron (a sweet puree of sweetened chestnuts) and the French liqueur, Grand Marnier. Nutella is also a popular favorite there, and here.

The History of Crêpes

I think history is always more fun when it involves food! Crêpes originated in Brittany, in the northwest region of France. Early in its history, it was more commonly eaten than bread! In the 12th century, when buckwheat was introduced to the Brittany area, it became the main ingredient in the French pancake. Now savory crêpes (called galettes) are still made with buckwheat flour, while sweet crêpes are more likely to be made with white flour. Traditionally crêpes are served with cider, served in a large bowl.

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Crêpes are now one of our favorite ways to entertain for Sunday Brunch…mimosas optional! We’ve expanded the traditional butter and sugar to include other toppings:

• Over-easy eggs with cheese
• Lemon curd
• Strawberries and whipped cream
• Blueberries and vanilla yogurt
• Peanut butter and banana
• Goat cheese and honey
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Ratatouille

You can see that the possibilities are endless!

If you serve crêpes to guests, they’re sure to be impressed. Crêpes are super easy to make; the trickiest part is tilting the pan in such a way that the batter spreads everywhere. It’s all in the wrist! But practice makes perfect; the first “practice” crêpe is often given to the family poodle.

Let’s Talk Nutrition:

I often tell my clients that a certain food isn’t unhealthy—it’s what you put “in it” or “on it” that makes or breaks the nutritional score of a food. Crêpes are no exception! Here you see one of my favorites–peanut butter and honey–served with milk on the side and watermelon. That’s a super healthy breakfast!

Crêpes actually only have five ingredients: Flour, milk, eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla. Because they are thinner than pancakes, you can actually cut your carbs a bit by eating them…depending on what you put “in” them, and of course, how many you eat! Crêpes provide a pretty good source of calcium since milk is a headline ingredient. We make them with about 1/3 whole wheat flour, which ups the fiber and nutrient content. Of course you can also make them galette style, with buckwheat flour, which makes them gluten-free. Make it a full meal by adding egg and cheese and top with salad, sliced tomato and walnuts.

The Recipe

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup white flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups milk

Yield: Approximately 10 crêpes

1. Mix the dry ingredients, add about 2/3 cup milk and stir well with a fork to remove lumps and then egg and vanilla. Stir until well mixed. Gradually add the rest of the milk. (Unlike with pancakes, you want to stir a lot!)
2. Pre-heat nonstick pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the hot pan, swirling it around until the pan is completely covered. If there is extra batter, pour it back into the bowl. (The amount you pour will depend on the size of the pan.)
4. When the edge of the crêpe starts browning (1 to 1 1/2 minutes) turn the crêpe over and cook for about 30 more seconds.

To Serve:

Have all the toppings ready for guests to make their own. Gather round the stove and cheer on the chef!! Or, make them in advance, stuff them with ham and cheese, or chicken and mushrooms and place in a casserole dish with a cream sauce and warm in the oven. If you can dream it, you can make it!