Secrets To Making Crêpes

Crêpes may sound like fancy French food, but the thin pancakes are simple enough for anyone to handle, insists cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie.

In The Early Show's "Five-Minute Cooking School" Thursday, Ritchie set out to demystify crêpes, which she says are not only delicious, but incredibly versatile. They're good for both sweet and savory recipes.

A crêpe is a type of very thin cooked pancake usually made from wheat flour. The word, like the pancake itself, is of French origin, deriving from the Latin "crispa," meaning "curled."

May people are intimidated by the prospect of preparing crêpes at home, but Ritchie says they needn't be: Crêpes are easy to make. Doing so doesn't require any special skills.

It doesn't even require a special pan. A simple, non-stick skillet will do just fine, Ritchie says.

She held her class in the flagship store in Manhattan of specialty home furnishings retailer and The Early Show partner Williams-Sonoma.

RECIPES

Basic Crêpes

These crêpes can be used with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. They're the perfect foundation for souffléd crêpes.

1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter, plus 8 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt

In a blender, combine the milk, egg, flour, the 1/2 Tbs. melted butter and the salt and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

In a crêpe pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. of the butter to coat the pan evenly. Lift the pan at a slight angle and pour 2 Tbs. of the batter into the center, tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crêpe is golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crêpe over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Makes 8 crêpes.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Black Pepper Crêpes with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

Refrigerating the batter helps produce exceptionally tender crêpes because, as the batter chills, the flour expands and absorbs the liquid. You can cook the crêpes in advance, then fill and broil them just before serving.

1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
8 tsp. unsalted butter
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
4-oz. log of goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled

In a blender, combine the milk, egg, flour, oil, the 1 tsp. pepper and the 1⁄2 tsp. salt and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

In a crêpe pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. of the butter to coat the pan evenly. Lift the pan at a slight angle and pour 2 Tbs. of the batter into the center, tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crêpe is golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the crêpe over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat to make 8 crêpes.

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler and preheat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a clean work surface, lay a crêpe flat. Put one-eighth of the tomato slices on the crêpe and top with one-eighth of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the crêpe into quarters and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Broil until the crêpes are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

For more recipes, go to Page 2.Ham and Gruyère Crêpes

Authentic Black Forest ham is produced in the Black Forest region of Bavaria, in southwestern Germany. There, the hams are cold smoked over beech wood or pine from nearby forests, producing meat with an intense smoky-sweet flavor and velvety texture.

For the crêpes:
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
8 tsp. unsalted butter, plus more for
brushing pan

1 lb. Black Forest ham, thinly sliced
8 oz. Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

To make the crêpes, in a blender, combine the milk, egg, flour, oil and the 1/2 tsp. salt and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

In a crêpe pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. of the butter to coat the pan evenly. Lift the pan at a slight angle and pour 2 Tbs. of the batter into the center, tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crêpe is golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crêpe over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 crêpes.

To assemble, on a clean work surface, lay a crêpe flat. Arrange 2 oz. of the ham on the crêpe and top with 1 oz. of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the crêpe into quarters. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling.

Lightly brush the crêpe pan with butter and set over medium heat. Place the crêpes in the pan and cook, turning once, until the cheese begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Raspberry Crêpes with Ice Cream

In place of the raspberries, you can use strawberries, boysenberries, blackberries or other fruits, such as sliced peaches or pears. For an elegant presentation, drizzle the filled crêpes with a thin stream of melted chocolate.

For the filling:
2 pints raspberries
1/4 cup sugar

For the crêpes:
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk, plus more as needed
1 Tbs. light rum
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 to 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus more
as needed

1 pint vanilla ice cream
8 to 10 fresh mint sprigs

To make the filling, place all but 8 to 10 of the raspberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Stir gently to coat, then let stand for 15 minutes.

To make the crêpes, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, the 1 3/4 cups milk and the rum until blended. Gradually whisk in the flour, sugar and salt to form a thin, lump-free batter. If there are still lumps, strain the batter through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. If the batter seems too thick-it should be the consistency of thick cream-thin it by whisking in a little milk.

Place a 9 to 10-inch nonstick crêpe pan or fry pan over medium-high heat. Flick a drop or two of water into the pan; if it sizzles and spatters, the pan is ready. Drop in 1 tsp. of the butter. When it melts, tip the pan from side to side to coat the bottom. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the pan, quickly tipping and rotating the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, and the crêpe begins to dry at the edges and pull away from the pan, about 1 minute. Using a wide nylon spatula, flip the crêpe and cook 30 to 40 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as needed. You should have 16 to 20 crêpes.

To serve, place several spoonfuls of the berries in the middle of a crêpe and roll it up. Repeat until all the crêpes are filled. Arrange 2 crêpes on each plate. Place a scoop of ice cream alongside each pair of crêpes, and top the ice cream with a reserved berry and a mint sprig. Serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 10.

Adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Casual Outdoor Dining," by Georgeanne Brennan (Time-Life Books, 1998)

Blueberry-Mango Crêpes

To slice a mango, peel the fruit and then stand it up on one of its narrow edges, with the stem end pointing toward you. Using a large, sharp knife, cut down about 1 inch to one side of the stem, just grazing the side of the pit. Repeat with the other side. Place the halves, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut into slices.

For the crêpes:
1 egg
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. canola oil

3 mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch
slices
4 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream
8 tsp. unsalted butter
2 pints fresh blueberries

To make the crêpes, in a blender, combine the egg, milk, vanilla, all-purpose and whole wheat flours, salt and oil and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.

In a bowl, stir together the mangoes, 2 Tbs. of the sugar and the lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a cream whipper, combine the cream and the remaining 2 Tbs. sugar according to the manufacturer's instructions and refrigerate.

In a crêpe pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. of the butter to coat the pan evenly. Lift the pan at a slight angle and pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center, tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crêpe is golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crêpe over and cook for about 1 minute more. Transfer the crêpe to a plate and cover. Repeat to make 8 crêpes.

To assemble, lay a crêpe flat and spoon some of the blueberries into the center of the crêpe. Spoon some of the mango mixture on top and fold the crêpe into quarters. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Place 2 crêpes on each of 4 plates, garnish with whipped cream and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.