This post is about crepes (although my passion somehow doesn’t spread to its cousin, the buckwheat galettes). I love crepes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE crepes!!! When we stayed with Benoit and Marie in Brittany last summer, I insisted on having crepes all day. We went to the farmers’ market, and there I was patiently waiting in line patiently for crepes. We went to a restaurant, and there I was gulping down crepes for dessert. We went for a little trip to an island nearby, and there I was packing crepes for my super.
A couple of months ago, Marie and her family came for a visit. She laughed so hard when I sheepishly admitted how much I missed her crepes. She thought the amount I ate at her place was enough for at least another year. Oh Marie, you are so underestimating the power of crepes!
As a native from Brittany, Marie knows everything about crepes. Her grandparents owned a small bakery for 46 years, and she learned how to make crepes with her grandma since she was a toddler. Of course she offered to make me some crepes. And of course I stood there in the kitchen, watching her deliriously, and jotting down every single step.
The secret with Marie’s recipe is, there is no recipe. A pinch of this. A pinch of that. Mix. Mix. Mix. Until it feels “just right” (this is when Marie dipped her little pinky finger in the batter, tasted it, and smiled). So, I did my best to measure everything step-by-step. The crepes I made turned out to be awesome. The master, aka Marie, approved!
There are endless variations from the original recipe below. Add 2 tbs of cocoa powder for chocolate crepes. Substitute cocoa powder with green tea powder if you want some Asian flavor. You could mix some ground cinnamon, or ground nutmeg as well. Just have fun with the recipe. The leftover can be frozen in a tight ziplock, and reheated in a microwave for about 1 minute.
Marie’s famous crepes
(for about 9 12″ crepes)
300g all-purpose flour (King Arthur)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
3 eggs
15g canola oil
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup beer
- In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to mix flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add eggs and oil to the flour mixture.
- Slowly pour milk in (2) and mix until well combined.
- Stir in the beer.
- Cover and allow the batter to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or best over night.
- When ready to eat: ladder about 1 cup batter onto a hot nonstick skillet, swirl the batter to create an even round crepe. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Transfer cooked crepes to a large plate, cover the entire plate with a kitchen towel to keep moist and warm.
- Keep warm in 200F oven until serving.
Bon appetite!
Nga's cuisine 