Crepes Passion Recipes

THE BEST CREPES

Steps:

• Add the milk, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt to a blender. Puree on high speed until completely smooth and slightly thickened and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the melted butter and puree until incorporated, 30 seconds more. Let the batter rest in the blender carafe for at least 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to 24 hours. The longer you allow the batter to rest and hydrate, the lighter and softer the texture of the crepes will be; overnight is ideal.
• Before cooking, re-blend the batter at high speed for 30 seconds. This will reincorporate the ingredients, a vital step in getting an even golden color on the crepes. Wipe 1/2 teaspoon of oil on a large crepe pan or a 10-inch nonstick skillet with a paper towel. You don't want to see any drops of oil in the pan, just coat with the thinnest layer. Heat the pan over medium heat until hot.
• Ladle 1/4 cup batter into the pan. Working quickly off the heat, swirl and shake the pan to evenly coat the bottom with the batter. Return to the heat and cook the crepe, reducing the heat if it's browning too quickly, until the edges are light golden, about 2 minutes. Slide a spatula underneath to loosen the crepe and carefully flip it over. Cook on the other side until a few brown spots appear, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping pan with oil each time. Stack the crepes on the plate as you go (you should have about 15 total). Let the crepes cool for 10 minutes before serving or filling.
• For fillings, we suggest Nutella and bananas or peanut butter and jelly for sweet crepes. Ham and cheese makes a great filling for savory crepes.

SIMPLE CREPES

Steps:

• In a blender, puree flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day; stir for a few seconds before using.
• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. Quickly pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet, tilting and swirling pan until batter evenly coats bottom. Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges begin to lift from pan, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Lift one edge of crepe with an offset spatula, then use your fingers to gently flip crepe. Cook on second side until just set and golden in places on bottom, about 45 seconds. Slide crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate.
• Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with more butter as needed, and stacking crepes directly on top of one another. Let cool to room temperature before using, wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating up to 5 days, or freezing up to 1 month.

BASIC CREPES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
• Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

CREPES PASSION

Steps:

• Make pastry cream:
• In a large heatproof bowl whisk together yolks, sugar, and cornstarch (mixture will be very stiff). In a heavy saucepan bring milk and vanilla just to a boil. Add 1/2 cup milk mixture to egg mixture in a stream, whisking, and whisk until smooth. Whisk egg-milk mixture into remaining milk in pan and simmer, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer hot pastry cream to a clean heatproof bowl and cool, surface covered with buttered wax paper. Chill pastry cream at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Whisk pastry cream before using.
• Make passion fruit sauce:
• Halve passion fruit crosswise and scoop flesh and seeds into a bowl. In a heavy saucepan combine sugar and 1 tablespoon water and cook over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until sugar begins to melt. Continue cooking mixture, stirring with a fork, until sugar is melted and syrup is golden. Remove pan from heat. Carefully add remaining water down side of pan and stir in passion fruit (caramel will bubble up and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer sauce, stirring, until caramel is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at time, stirring until incorporated and sauce is smooth. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce over low heat before serving.
• Make crêpes:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl whisk together yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar until thick and pale. Sift flour over mixture and whisk until combined. Add 3 tablespoons butter and milk and whisk until smooth. In another bowl beat whites with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until they just hold soft peaks and fold into milk mixture gently but thoroughly.
• Heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet over moderately high heat until hot and brush with some additional butter. (If skillet handle is plastic, wrap handle in a double thickness of foil.) Pour 1 cup batter into skillet, swirling to coat bottom, and cook until crêpe loosens from side of skillet and underside is pale golden, about 3 minutes. (Crêpe will be puffed, almost like a soufflé.) Transfer skillet to middle of oven and continue cooking crêpe until top is set, about 2 minutes.
• Put about 1/4 cup pastry cream in center of crêpe and fold in half. With a wide metal spatula carefully slide crêpe onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Makes 3 more crêpes in same manner with remaining batter and pastry cream, gently stirring batter occasionally so egg whites remain incorporated. Reheat crêpes in oven before serving.
• Dust crêpes with confectioners' sugar and serve with passion fruit sauce.