Crêpes: like pancakes, but for every meal!

One of my favorite traditions growing up was crêpes on Mardi Gras. My mom would make a big batch of crêpes and we would eat them for both dinner and dessert. My mom liked ratatouille and crème fraîche in her crêpes, while I preferred ham and cheese. For dessert, we would spread Nutella or fresh raspberry jam. It was a great way to celebrate “Fat Tuesday.”

When I was 11, I went to France for the first time and indulged in my first crêpe from a street vendor. I fell in love with the simple setup yet endless possibilities: cheese, ham and cheese, cheese and egg, chocolate, fresh fruit jam, whipped cream–and my personal favorite, Nutella and banana.

Crêpes are still my favorite on-the-go snack (or meal) when I’m in France. Here’s my mom’s trusty (and low-fat!) crêpe recipe to enjoy at home.

What You Need:
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons non-dairy creamer (amaretto flavor)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
spritz of non-stick cooking spray

What To Do:

Put flour in a medium-sized bowl. Make a “well” in the flour–basically, scoop out a little hole in the middle. Crack egg into the “well” in the flour. Stir egg and flour. Whisk in non-dairy creamer–try it with amaretto or hazelnut flavor. Then whisk in skim milk, vanilla and nutmeg until smooth. Cover and set for 30 minutes.

Use a 10-inch or bigger Teflon skillet–depends on how big you want your crêpes to be. Heat skillet on medium-high, and make sure that heat is evenly distributed throughout the skillet. Spray a light layer of non-stick cooking spray.

Scoop out a 1/3 cup of crêpe batter and pour into skillet. Turn the pan so that crêpe mix is evenly spread throughout pan. Once it begins to bubble, flip the crêpe–use a spatula if necessary.

Recipe yields about 15 to 20 crepes–however, if you want thicker crêpe, use more mix in each skillet and vice versa. Remember to spray non-stick cooking spray every few crêpes.

Then fill with any type of filling you’d like: I love fresh jam, Nutella, or a just a sprinkling of sugar for my dessert crêpes. For more savory options, try sliced ham and cheese or a bit of ratatouille.

Bon Appétit!

Tagged as: Crepes, French Cuisine, Street Food