Crepes

Last week my family and I were vacationing in sunny St. Maarten. It was a wonderful reprieve from the cold (although not as cold as past years) that we had been experiencing. We enjoyed the wonderful locals (so hospitable!), the weather, the beaches, watching planes take off and land, and the wonderful food. St. Maarten hosts tourists from all around the world, and the cuisine of the island reflects that. European (especially French) restaurants and bakeries are abundant, Chinese restaurants are easy to find, there are a handful of Indian eateries, and obviously food native to the Caribbean is sold loud and proud.

One of the restaurants we visited boasted itself as a French patisserie and boulangerie (pastry and bread shop). The pastries and loaves of bread in the glass cases were impeccable. The photos on the menu were gorgeous. Alas, the actual food being served wasn’t so great. We ordered an array of items, including an order of crepes served with powdered sugar. How were they, you ask? Totally rubbery and underwhelming, and left me wondering how a place that calls themselves French could possibly mess up a crepe?

There’s a misconception that   crepes are difficult and finicky to make. I’m here to tell you that they’re not. The ingredients get whizzed together in a blender, and the batter is quickly cooked in a pan on the stove. Seriously you guys, really easy. I used the Kitchen Master Genius, Mr. Alton Brown’s recipe, and was left wondering what we were thinking shelling out money for thin rubber pancakes, oops, I mean “crepes”, when we could have been enjoying these light, delicate, and delicious crepes in the comfort of our home.

 

Crepes

Yield: 10 to 12 Crepes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for coating the pan
• 2 ½ tablespoons sugar (if making dessert crepes)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (if making dessert crepes)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the jar of a blender and blitz for 10 seconds, until thoroughly combined.  Place batter in the refrigerator and chill for one hour.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet (8 to 10 inches in diameter) over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with butter. When the butter begins to bubble, pour about ¼ cup batter into the center of the pan and swirl it around to coat evenly. If the heat is too high, the batter will begin to scramble and holes will appear. Cook for approximately 30 seconds, when the edges look like they are beginning to turn back on themselves. Flip and cook until set, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat and serve, or cool completely and serve.

Note: Batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It may thicken, so add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out before cooking.

Cooled crepes can be kept in a sealable plastic bag in either the refrigerator (for a few days) or freezer (up 2 months).