What's lighter than thin, airy crêpes?
When I want crêpes, I usually go to Rooster or Murdoch Perk, but I'd like to be able to make them at home because they're lighter than pancakes, whichI often make for breakfast-for-dinner. Since pancakes usually leave me feeling like I got kicked in the gut, I'm on the lookout for another sweet treat that can be made for almost any meal. Crêpes fit the bill.
Crêpes exist in many forms in many cultures' cuisines, but in my mind, they're all French. I slapped on a beret, pulled out my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking -- might as well start there -- and found the recipe for Pâte à Crêpes. There was a sweet crepe recipe, too, back in the dessert section. However, it called for orange liqueur, rum or brandy. Quelle horreur! We had none of these boozy selections, only sweet tea vodka, vermouth and wine. None seemed like suitable substitutes, so I went with the savory crêpe recipe.
The recipe was quite simple: flour, milk, water, butter, eggs and a pinch of salt. One thing I've learned is not to let recipes with simple ingredients intimidate me: Even if the technique is difficult, it gives me a chance to learn that technique -- even if said technique is as simple as, you know, not producing a hockey puck when you set out to make a loaf of bread. Plus, using basic pantry ingredients means slightly less guilty
Honestly, crêpes are so simple that the only way I could have screwed them up would be to burn them. Of course, crêpes take around a minute in a pan, including the flip, so I easily could have burned them.
