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.
Austrian Crepes in Custard Sauce, served with Apricot Caramel Sauce
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.
A non-stick surface is helpful, and a pan that responds well to heat changes, not too 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.
Just like with pancakes, the first for me often doesn’t 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!
Oh, and 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 give it a turn. When finished, I do just turn the pan upside down and let the crepe gently fall onto the stack.
Austrian Crepes in Custard Sauce, served with Apricot Caramel Sauce
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 what I don’t use in the freezer.
crepes
Crêpes
- 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
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.
A little Chef bonus – juice from the dried berries & leftover Soda
Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:
These crepes cost $1.90 to make.
- Read {Strategies Applied} for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving time/money and managing this recipe.
- Follow my 12 Strategies – You’ll see them on the upper drop down menu of every page and how I apply them, below.
- Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.
- Use a coupon matching site! Every store has a group of enthusiastic Coupon Matchers. Do not discount the savings! I check their site every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.
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