Today I leave you with a basic recipe perfect for making many delicious dishes, both sweet and savory, based on crepes. Super soft, flexible, they don’t break and are perfect for creating a multitude of dishes in any season and for any occasion!
Crepes, known by their French name, also called crespelle, are nothing more than a kind of thin “pancake” made only with flour, eggs, and milk.
They can be filled with both savory and sweet ingredients. This quick crepe recipe doesn’t require salt or sugar, so we can use them for all preparations.
Here are three ideas on how to fill them: Crepes with Broccoli, Sausage, and Mozzarella, tasty and stringy, perfect for a Sunday lunch. Or colorful Spinach Crepes with Ricotta and Béchamel, au gratin in the oven.
If you love sweets, let yourself be conquered by the Apple and Cinnamon Crepes, a poetry!
Here’s my creamy béchamel if you want to make oven-gratinated crepes that are finger-licking good!
If you love crepes, don’t miss out on these all-delicious versions:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: about 24 crepes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (if unavailable, use 00 flour)
- 2 Eggs (medium)
- 1 3/4 cups Milk
Tools
- Bowl
- Hand Whisk
- Sieve
- Pan
- Ladle
Preparation
Break the medium whole eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork or hand whisk. Pour in the milk and continue whisking to combine.
After sifting the flour, add it, a little at a time, to the beaten eggs. If you already know the filling will be savory, add a pinch of salt.
You can also use an electric mixer to blend the flour well and prevent lumps. You should obtain a smooth and fluid batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. It is not essential but can help prevent lumps.
After the time has passed, take a rather large non-stick pan. Lightly grease it with a paper towel moistened with olive oil and let it heat up well.
Pour a ladle of batter into the center and quickly spread the batter by tilting and rotating the pan to form an even and thin layer, but not too thin.
Do this operation quickly because the batter cooks in just a few minutes. If the crepe is thicker, it will take a few more minutes to cook.
If the batter does not spread well over the pan, it means the mixture is not fluid enough. In this case, you need to add a bit more milk until you reach the right consistency.
Cook for a couple of minutes on one side, as soon as the edges begin to color and detach from the pan, flip the crepe with a spatula to cook it on the other side.
When cooked, place it on a cloth to cool. Repeat the operation until the batter is used up.
The number of crepes you get with these amounts varies based on the thickness of the crepe and the size of the pan used. The thicker the crepes or the larger the pan, the fewer there will be, and vice versa.
Once ready, you can use them immediately to make sweet or savory recipes or freeze them and use them as needed.
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
Notes
How do you store freshly made empty crepes?
Once cooked and cooled, crepes can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. They can be placed on a plate, one on top of the other, as they detach perfectly from each other, and then covered with a food bag.
Can I prepare the batter in advance and leave it in the fridge?
Of course, the crepe batter can be stored in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days. The important thing is to always cover it well with food wrap to prevent it from absorbing other odors.
How do you freeze empty crepes?
If, like me, you’ve made a nice supply of crepes to store in the freezer or if you simply have leftovers, you can place them in a suitable container for the freezer with an airtight lid.
In this case, I recommend separating the crepes with pieces of parchment paper so you can defrost only the number you need. Alternatively, use multiple containers to portion the crepes based on the number you know you’ll use each time.
They can stay in the freezer for a maximum of three months.
An important tip: arrange the crepes flat and avoid placing any weight on top to prevent them from breaking.
Subsequently, when you need to fill them, let them thaw in the fridge and then proceed to fill them as desired.
Important: once thawed, you cannot refreeze them.Can I freeze the crepes once filled?
Just as you can freeze the empty ones, you can do so with the filled ones. One caution is to separate them well, perhaps making several portions, and place them in a container with an airtight lid. For cooking, I recommend letting them thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
Important: once thawed, you cannot refreeze them.Can I make crepes without milk?
Absolutely yes! You can make wonderful Abruzzese crespelle that we prepare only with water, eggs, and flour and they are truly delicious!
You can use them to prepare a famous Teramo dish called Scrippelle ‘mbusse or another specialty from Teramo, which is the Scrippelle Timballo.
Teramo scrippelle can be filled, like crepes, in a thousand ways, so I leave it to your imagination to fill them as you like!Is it possible to make crepes without eggs and milk?
Certainly! I am a big fan of crepes and have tried them in various versions. The gluten-free buckwheat version, the vegan spinach version, the egg-free and milk-free Abruzzo version (which would be the poorer version of scrippelle) and those with chickpea flour. Try them all, they’re delicious.
Can I reheat the crepes I kept in the fridge?
Yes, you can heat them for just a few minutes in a pan over very low heat. Or even in the microwave. In this case, always place them in a suitable container and heat them for a few seconds at a time because every microwave is different.
When should I flip the crepes?
As soon as you notice many small bubbles have formed on the surface and the edges have detached from the pan on their own, then you can flip them.
If you’re skilled, you can lift them directly with your fingers. Otherwise, if you’re afraid of burning yourself, use a spatula.
