Crepes and 250 Sunday mornings

I have been wondering when and if I would want to talk about crepes. The crepes that we have had every Sunday morning for the last 5 years, give or take a year.

Sunday 7 am is always the same. I get up first, melt the butter, drink a glass of water, take the blender out, brake four eggs, pour in milk and water. I turn the espresso machine on. I add melted butter and salt to the eggs. I turn the blander on. I boil a small amount of water to warm up my espresso cup. I measure out flour, add it to the batter, blend some more. I put the blender in the fridge. I make 30 ml of perfect espresso, stir it with a spoon and drink it with pleasure. Breakfast is half ready.

Then Hania wakes up. I take her drink (water, lemon and honey) to her bed. 10 minutes later, she starts watching cartoons. And 2 hours later, we eat the crepes. They are worth waiting for.

I got so clever making the crepes, I do it on three pans. I use different combinations of flours, spelt with white, whole wheat with white, in different proportions, depending what I have in my pantry. We have developed a taste for whole grains in crepes and we like it. My crepes are paper-thin, taste buttery, neither salty nor sweet. A perfect base for nutella, butter, sugar and/or jams. Fresh strawberries go too. Raspberry syrup - OK.

Nutella has to be. I go out to get it if we are out. The raspberry syrup was left from Bellini Bar (fruit juice + champagne) I served the night before. Sunday morning, the sweet berries looked so good on my plate, I got inspired. And my appetite was a little off after champagne+girlfriends the night before...so there were some crepes left this time for the pictures.

Recipe adapted from Julia Child
time: 20 min preparation + 2 hrs inactive
makes about 25 crepes 

ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons (60 g) melted butter (not hot).
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) salt
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) flour (1/2 cup white + 1 cup whole wheat or 1/2 cup white + 1 cup spelt, etc..)

instructions

1. On a small skillet, melt butter on medium/low heat. Turn it off when you see most of the butter melted. Set it aside to melt completely.
2. In a blander, mix eggs with milk, water, melted butter and salt, on high speed for 1 minute. Add flour(s). Blend for 30 seconds. Set the blander in the fridge for 2 hours (at least 30 minutes).
3. After 2 hours, I turn my oven on 160C/355F for 5 minutes to warm a ceramic dish (to stack ready crepes) and three plates for us. 
4. Set your skillet(s) on the stove top on medium heat. Brush it lightly with butter (extra butter). Lift the skillet and shift it right or left while pouring the batter in order for the batter to cover the whole surface of the skillet. If you got too much batter, you can pour it back in the blander. Put the pan back on the stove top. After about 30 seconds, the crepe should be ready to be turned. The first one might take a little longer if your pan is not hot yet. Flip the crepe. Leave it on the other side also for about 30 seconds. Put in a ceramic dish (mine is warm) and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Crepes are good hot, warm and cold.