Crêpes de la Chandeleur

Saturday was crêpe day here in France. So I whipped up a batch. This year I only made sweet crêpes. In past years I've made savory crêpes with buckwheat flour. They're good stuffed with ham and cheese or mushrooms and served as a main course. Sweet crêpes are good for dessert.

A stack of freshly made crêpes, ready to be filled and eaten.

Yesterday I cooked some sliced apples with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and rum to fill the crêpes. The filling can be anything you like: a spoonful of your favorite jam, a drizzle of honey, or a pat of butter and a sprinkling of sugar. Yummy! Here's the recipe I use (from Monique Maine, "Cuisine pour toute l'année"):

Sweet crêpes (crêpes de la Chandeleur)

• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbl vegetable oil
• shot of liqueur (rum, kirsch, etc.), optional

With a wooden spoon, mix the flour, salt, and egg in a large bowl. Gradually add, while stirring, the milk and the water. The batter should not be thick, but rather thin. Pass the mixture through a sieve, then add the oil and liqueur. Let the batter rest for at least an hour.

Coat a lightly buttered crêpe pan (a standard non-stick frying pan will work, just coat the bottom) with just enough batter to make a thin layer and cook over medium heat. After a few minutes, the crêpe should come loose from the pan. Turn it (flip it in the air if you dare!) and cook the other side for minute or so. Cover cooked crêpes with a towel and keep them in a warming oven. This recipe makes 8-12 crêpes, depending on their size. The recipe is easily doubled.

When you're ready to fill them, put one crêpe at a time in the hot buttered pan, add the filling to one side and fold the other side over. Slide the warmed crêpe onto a plate and enjoy!