A Crepe-y Morning

As you can see from the picture, I had a furry friend eager to help this morning. It all began with him trying to stick his nose in the strawberries I was cutting, licking the butter I had out, and nudging the pan on the burner that I was about to turn on. Needless to say, I was more than happy to eat with him staring at the finished product if it meant keeping him away from the stove and counters.

Today I learned how to improvise a recipe. I had the recipe for crepes, and made the batter at my house before heading over to my boyfriend's, since it needed to sit for half an hour. I then left the cookbook at my house. I also left a printed out recipe for a blueberry-raspberry sauce sitting on the printer in my house. So, I made the crepes how I remembered them, and the first few looked a little bit like eggs (though they tasted fine), but I got the hang of it eventually. As for the sauce, I completely winged it, and it turned out great! I put raspberries, sliced strawberries, a teensy bit of butter, a few splashes of lemon juice and just around a teaspoon of sugar all in a sauce pot and heated it over low heat. It got nice and juicy and the flavor was excellent. The only thing I should have done was heated the berries I had on reserve for just a minute in the sauce to warm them up. I wanted a few to be a little firmer, but the temperature contrast didn't work out so well.

All in all, though, it was a tasty breakfast! We also had some banana and nutella ones, but they weren't nearly as good as the berry mixture. Also, I thought the crepes on their own were just a little bit too sweet, and will probably cut the sugar by about a third next time.




The Joy of Cooking's Sweet Crepes
(Makes about 12 crepes - I halved the recipe and got about 8 out of it)
Ingredients
1 C all-purpose flour (substitution: whole wheat flour, what I had on hand)
1 C milk
1/2 C lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/4 C butter, melted
1/8 tsp. salt (omitted)
3 T. sugar

Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients, in order, in a bowl and mix until smooth.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
3. If using refrigerated batter, gently stir and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Heat a small to medium skillet (with a tiny bit of butter if nonstick - but not much is needed) over medium heat*. It is heated when the butter begins to color but not smoke.
5. Lift the pan from the heat and, using a ladle or small measuring cup, slowly pour enough batter to cover the entire bottom with a very thin coating, quickly tilting and rotating the pan.
6. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crepe bubbles and bottom is lightly browned, 1-1 1/2 minutes.
7. Turn the crepes with a spatula or with your fingers (gently), and cook the second side until browned.

*Note: I found that medium heat was really high, and so lowered mine to medium-low, leaning towards low. Also, I used two different types of skillet: one stainless steel and one mystery material that was much nicer (perhaps cast-iron? Although it was safe to wash it in the sink, so I have my doubts about that) and the stainless steel consistently burned the crepes. There was nothing wrong with the taste aside from preference, but the aesthetic of the higher quality skillet was much better.

I also wish that I had warmed the crepes again after adding the filling and rolling/folding. I found that they lost their heat very quickly, and could have used an extra few minutes in a low heat oven.

I'm posting this entry from my dorm room, so I am once again kicked out of the kitchen and forced into the dining hall - for a week, that is. My mom's birthday is fast approaching and I told her that I would come home and cook her dinner (and might even make her a surprise cheesecake if I have time), so this blog shouldn't be neglected...yet. I make no promises, however, for later on in the semester.

Until Friday!