Crepes and Whipped Cream

One of my memories from my earlier trips to Japan includes marveling at the crepe displays in the local department stores. The crepes in the case were fake and glossy but looked tantalizing. Some were filled with fruit and whipped cream, others with ice cream and fruit, and others with chocolate syrup or caramel. But all were wrapped gently in a thin large pancake. I remember as I waited for my crepe, I watched the vendors make it, starting with spreading the batter on a larger circular flat plate. Then peeling it off once cooked and filling mine down the center first with dollops of whipped cream, topping it with fresh ripe strawberries, and then wrapping up the sides (kinda like a burrito). It was chewy and sweet.

One evening this past winter, I wanted to send my husband to work with a breakfast lunch. My attempts at sausages rolled up in a traditional pancake failed. I needed a thinner batter. This led me back to my memories of crepes. So I whipped up a batch of crepes and rolled the breakfast sausages in them. With that success, the following week I made whipped cream and fruit filled crepes.

Crepes can be filled with anything. My husband even likes to throw in a layer of fruit jam or preserves in his. I like to make my crepes about six inches in diameter. It is small but I find it more manageable in the frying pan this way. I use a non-stick frying pan so I don’t add more oil to the pan after each crepe. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Makes about 16 6-inch crepes.

What you need…crepes

1 ¼ cups milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon cooking oil + additional oil to grease the frying pan
¼ teaspoon baking powder
fillings of your choice

How to…crepes

1. Prepare your filling, example; cut your fruit and make whipped cream.
2. In a bowl, whisk together ingredients.
3. In a 6-8 inch frying pan, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium-low heat.  Pour 3 tablespoons of batter into the center of the frying pan.Gently lift and tilt the skill to spread the batter evenly and coat the bottom of the pan.Return to heat.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is a light brown.Helpful hint.  Prior to putting the batter in the pan, I fill a ¼ cup measuring cup with three tablespoons of batter.  I find that easier than individually spooning out the tablespoons.  It also makes coating the pan easier.  I usually remove the crepe when the batter is no longer runny and feels spongy.  I try not to brown it too much to keep the crepe pliable for folding.
4. Remove crepe from pan and place on wax paper to cool.
5. Fill with desired filling and serve!

Helpful Hint.  How I build my favorite crepes…

1. Spread the whipped cream.
2. Line up fruit.
3. Fold sides.
4. Eat.

The cookbook suggests adding ¼ teaspoon of salt for savory crepes or 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of sugar for sweet crepes.  I have yet to try either but I enjoy the plain crepe for both sweet and savory.

What you need…whipped cream

8 ounces heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar

How to…whipped cream

1. In a bowl, using a mixer, on medium-high or high, whisk cream and sugar together until it turns into whipped cream.
2. Serve!