BRINGING IN THE LIGHT
Le Chandeleur – the day of the Feast of Light – may be over, but the light is lasting longer and longer every day. And that is worth a few crêpes as celebration. After all, we’ve lived through the shortest days, the darkest months. So now you can make sweet crepes to bring the sun right inside, to rest on your plate! Find the recipe below. Remember, your first couple of crêpes may look more like doilies; don’t worry about it. It takes you – and your pan – awhile to get the hang of it. And those doilies? They’re yummy just as they are!
YOU WILL NEED PRACTICE
You will need practice making crêpes. Be sure you’ve got some willing guinea pigs. Arm yourself with clarified butter, a paper towel, a quarter cup measure and a third cup measure (depending on the size of your pan), and a non-stick skillet. Heat the skillet, add clarified butter, when it’s melted and shimmering, add your batter and swirl the pan. Follow the directions in the video. For crêpe number two, rub the skillet with the paper towel dipped in clarified butter and repeat the process. You’ll get the hang of it quickly! Crepes make a great after school snack or, if you’re motivated to do as our friend Miche always did, invite your friends for a sweet supper of crêpes. It’s a once-in-a-year event!
PLAT DU JOUR, the cooking course, will help you become the chef and cook you always wanted to be, with clear instruction, focus on seasonal ingredients and traditional French recipes.
SWEET CRÊPES
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups; 230g unbleached, all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2-1/2 cups; 635ml whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter
Instructions
- Sift the flour and the salt together into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add 1-1/4 cups (310ml) of the milk and all the vanilla sugar, and gradually whisk the flour into it. Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking just until they are blended. Then whisk in the remaining milk. Let sit for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a 10-1/2 inch;26-1/2 cm) crêpe pan over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with some for the clarified butter, and using a 14 cup; 60ml measure, pour the batter into the center of the pan. Quickly turn and shake the pan until the batter coats the bottom. Let cook until the crêpe is golden and beginning to curl at the edges, about 1-1/2 minutes. If the crêpe is cooking too quickly and getting close to burned on the bottom, reduce the heat slightly. Take the edge of the crêpe in your fingers, or lift it using a wooden on plastic spatula, and gently pull up the crêpe. Turn it over and continue cooking until the other side is slightly golden, 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter.
- Place the crêpes on a plate and keep t
