Crepes, born in French cuisine, are also known in Italy as crespelle, and are thin round sheets made with milk, flour, eggs, and butter. The basic recipe is simple and quick to prepare, and you can choose to make them in a neutral, sweet, or savory version.
Depending on how you will use them and the version you choose to make, you can fill the crepes as you like. For example, savory for making delicate and light baked cannelloni with béchamel, or fill them cold for delicious appetizers. In the sweet version, they can be filled with creams, chocolate, jams, and fruits.
Add half a teaspoon of fine salt to the batter for the savory version and 1-2 teaspoons of sugar for the sweet version, get a crepe maker or a large, flat, non-stick pan, a large ladle with a 3.5-inch diameter, a flat wooden spatula, and you’re good to go. But now let’s see the recipe together and how to make them.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs
Steps
Melt the butter and put it in a large bowl. Add the whole eggs and beat them together with the butter, then add the milk and mix everything with a whisk.
Depending on the version you have chosen, add half a teaspoon of salt or 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar, or leave them simply neutral.
Pour the flour into the milk, a little at a time, and beat the batter with the whisk to eliminate any lumps that may form. To obtain a lump-free batter, I recommend immersing the stick of a hand blender into the bowl and blending the ingredients, so you will have a smooth and velvety batter.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and let the crepe batter rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
After the resting time, you can start preparing the sheets. Place the crepe maker or a large, flat, non-stick pan on the stove. Heat it well over medium-low heat.
Run a small piece of butter over the surface so it is lightly greased. Take a ladle of batter and pour it into the center of the pan. Lift the pan and immediately and quickly rotate the batter so that it spreads over the entire surface of the crepe maker in a thin and compact layer.
If you see any holes forming, fill them immediately with a little batter, using a spoon. It may happen the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, they will come out perfect.
After 2 minutes, you will see the edges cooked and almost lifted, using a flat wooden spatula, lift the entire crepe and gently flip it over in the pan, as if it were an omelet.
Let it cook for another 2 minutes or so until it becomes slightly golden.
At this point, when the other side is also cooked, you can remove the crepe from the pan and place it on a flat plate.
Continue cooking the other crepes, always spreading a thin layer of butter on the surface before pouring the batter.
Stack all the crepes on top of each other, and when they are cold, use them in your favorite recipes.
