For years I have been making and eating crepes and was calling them by what I thought they were, dunne Hollandse pannekoeken, or thin, Dutch pancakes. That’s what they are, but make them a bit thinner — razor thin — and you have crepes. Crepes have been the in foods now for many years.
The thin or “skinny” pancakes are better tasting than the thick pancakes most people are used to. Put a layer of maple syrup, good corn syrup or berries over the pancake, roll it up and yummy. For a real treat add some whipped cream.
Crepe is a French term denoting a very thin pancake, made with an egg batter and consumed as both a main course and a dessert. They can be eaten by themselves, or with a topping, depending on their place in the meal. An entire crepe may be topped with vegetables, cheese, eggs, or meat. Dessert crepes have a variety of fillings, such as soft fruit spreads, ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate.
Crepe originates from Brittany, a region in the west of France, where they are called krampouezh. In Brittany, crepes are traditionally served with apple cider. In areas of central Europe, the meal is called palacinta. In Austria it’s called palatschinken while in Hungary it’s called Palacsinta. In most German regions it’s pfannkuchen.
The Dutch word pannenkoeken is derived from the words “pan” and “cake”.
I’m sure some people think crepes are associated with grand dining and are hard to make. That’s probably because they heard of the most famous crepe, the Crepe Suzette. Crepe Suzette is topped with a sugar sauce that is subsequently set on fire by pouring a flaming liqueur over it. The sugar caramelizes, creating a thick sauce.
Apparently, it was first created by mistake by a 14-year-old assistant waiter as he was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, King Edward V11 of England. The liqueur caught fire, but the accident of the flame was precisely what was needed to bring all those sweet flavours out into one harmony of taste.
Today, crepes are associated with special occasions such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day and are prepared in a host of new ways.
If you’re wondering how I know so much about crepes, here’s why. Fifteen years ago I owned and ran a restaurant in Renfrew and introduced crepes the first year on Valentine’s Day. They were popular so we kept them on the menu blackboard. A favourite dessert crepe is the raspberry crepe with whipped cream. Whipped cream and raspberries are spread on a crepe, it’s rolled up and whipped cream, raspberries and the red juice is spread over the top of the crepe. It is delicious!
If you want to try making crepes at home, here are some tips. Always make the batter in advance. It should rest at least 30 minutes before cooking and can be kept overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the batter to room temperature before using. Crepes can be made ahead of time and refrigerate for three days.
How do you get the crepes so thin? For every cup of flour it takes 1 to 1 ¼ cup of milk. You pour a very small amount of batter in a crepe pan — a small frying pan will do — and you swirl and tilt the pan to spread the batter as thinly as possible. The heat has to be just right and it won’t take long to cook. When you get it down pat and want to make many crepes, you might consider having two or three pans going. That was one of my duties in the restaurant — making crepes.
Good Luck!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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