The thing about crêpes? They’re absolutely dirt cheap to make, yet seem so fancy. Gourmet on a budget. This is the recipe I come back to, over and over. I’ve used it with my filled and rolled Austrian Crepes, and it’s a go-to recipe for any favorite recipe.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
There’s no need for any expensive crepe pan – I’ve been using the same old skillet I’ve been cooking in for over 25 years. It just takes a few to get the hang of it. And the best thing to know about making them, if you’re a home cook like me, is to not strive for perfection. Unless you want to…you do you. I’ll keep knocking out my slightly more rustic crepes – and enjoying every one.
A non-stick surface is helpful, and a pan that responds well to heat changes, not too heavy or thick, is helpful. That gives the skillet a chance to slightly cool when it’s taken off the heat, and a crêpe is removed, and the pan is brushed with butter.
When the next crepe goes in, the slightly cooled pan buys you the few seconds needed to swirl the batter across the bottom of the pan before the batter sets up. If there’s any trick to making crepes, that’s it…
Just like with pancakes, the first one doesn’t always turn out, and sometimes the second doesn’t either! 🙂 It takes a minute to get the heat just right – or maybe it is some sort of weird principle at work!
I never flip my crêpes – I’m just not skilled enough to get them to land flat on the pan, and then I have wrinkled crêpes! I just ease a thin spatula under an edge, and with fingers and the spatula, turn the crepe over. When finished, I just turn the pan upside down and let the crepe gently fall onto the stack.
If you have extra, refrigerate for several days. To freeze, layer crêpes between parchment or wax paper, place all in a Ziploc bag. They are fantastic to have stashed away – any time you need an emergency dessert, pull out a few and serve however you’d like. Who’s the hero, now? 🙂
Don’t waste the leftover club soda! Have a drink, make a soda with ice cream and chocolate sauce (tastes like a Yahoo), or if you’re making Austrian Crêpes, you’ll soak your dried fruit in warm water. Mix the club soda with the strained juices and serve over ice for a home-made pop.
This recipe makes about 25 crepes, perfect for the Austrian Crepes baked in Custard Sauce, but great whenever I’d like a few crepes. I just make the whole batch and stash any extra in the freezer. Layer them between sheets of plastic wrap, stack, place in a Ziploc or box, and freeze. Thaw overnight.
I don’t make crepes often enough to make them perfectly – but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying each and every one!
Crêpes
Crepes can be sweet or savory, and this recipe works for either.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes including resting the batter
- Yield: 20 to 25 minutes 1x
- Category: Desserts Crepes
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar *
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups club soda or seltzer (from a new bottle)
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. In another bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and club soda or seltzer and add to flour mixture in a stream, whisking. Whisk batter until smooth and chill, covered, 1 hour.
Stir batter well. Heat a non-stick skillet measuring 8 inches across bottom over moderate heat until hot. Brush skillet lightly with melted butter. Remove skillet from heat. Fill a 1/4-cup measure three fourths full with batter and pour into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet quickly to cover bottom.
Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until underside is golden and top is dry, 15 to 30 seconds. If your crêpe is not quite thin enough, and the top side isn’t dry, turn crêpe over and cook about 10 to 15 seconds. Slide crêpe onto a kitchen towel or parchment paper to cool.
Make more crêpes in same manner with remaining batter, brushing skillet lightly with butter for each and stacking crêpes to cool. Crêpes may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, stacked and wrapped well in plastic wrap.
* For a savory crêpe, cut back or omit sugar from the recipe.
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