Crepes 2

Crepes are always a hit at our house! Adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe.
QUICK LOOK
Prep: 10 minutes
Stove-top: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
Yield: 16 crepes
Make Ahead: Batter can be prepared and refrigerated for 3-4 days. Stir before using.
Storage: Store cooled crepes on a plate covered in plastic wrap, or in a zip bag for 2-3 days.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons pear, peach, apricot juice or nectar1
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups flour
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted 

TOPPING IDEAS

  • Nutella
  • Bananas
  • Strawberries or other berries
  • Canned peaches, pears or apricots (from the juice used in the batter)
  • Jam
  • Caramel syrup
  • Yogurt
  • Lemon curd
  • Whipped cream
  • Powdered sugar
  • Cinnamon sugar
  • Ham or bacon
  • Cheese

PICTURES, INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS

COMBINE in a large bowl or blender:
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons pear, peach, apricot juice or nectar1
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

MELT the butter.
BLEND the batter briefly then add the melted butter into the batter while mixing.
SCRAPE down the sides of the blender or bowl and whisk until the batter is mostly smooth.
HEAT one or two 10-inch nonstick-pans2 over medium-high heat.
SMEAR a bit of butter in the pan.  Once the butter bubbles, tilt the pan and pour in about ¼ cup batter, continue tilting and slowly covering the pan until a thin, even crepe is formed. 
COOK 45 seconds to 1 minute. 
LOOSEN edges with a heat- proof rubber spatula, flip and cook until dry on the second side.  If the first side of the crepe is not cooked in one minute, turn up the heat.
PLACE cooked crepe on a plate and repeat.3
TOP or fill crepes as desired.

CHEESE CREPES

FOR cheese crepes, tilt the pan and pour in about ¼ cup batter, continue tilting and slowly covering the pan until a thin, even crepe is formed. 
PLACE thinly sliced cheese on top of the raw side of a crepe as soon as the crepe batter covers the pan.
WATCH FOR the edges of the crepe to brown then use a spatula to carefully turn the crepe over and cook the cheese side until golden brown.
FLIP the crepe out of the pan and onto a plate.

TIPS

1The juice or nectar really adds flavor to this otherwise lackluster batter. To have juice or nectar for future batches of crepes, measure out 2 Tablespoons of juice or nectar into ice cube trays, freeze and transfer to a zipper bag.

2Double time–2 pans at once! Place the batter bowl on the stove along with a plate for the finished crepes.

3Butter the pan for the first few crepes and adjust the heat as needed. Buttering the pan for each crepe is usually not necessary once the correct pan temperature is obtained.