crêpes de noël

Countdown to Christmas: Day 13!

Winter might be my least favourite time of year.  It’s not that I have anything against the holidays, I just really hate the cold.  And when you live in Canada, even on the west coast, it’s pretty unavoidable.  So during the winter months I often have to go to my happy place.  Depending on the day this varies, but today it’s France.

I was very fortunate when I was 16 to get the chance to go and live in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region as an exchange student.  The things I learned there have stuck with me through my adult life.  I learned so much about food when I was there, just watching the seasonal and natural way the French eat.  Of all the many foods I ate there the one that feels the most comforting to me is making crêpes. 

Any French person worth their sel knows how to make a good crêpe.  One of the families that I lived with used to have sweet crêpes for dinner once a week.  Another family had a relative that owned a crêpe shop.  Still another family made theirs with goose eggs!  Every family makes their own version, but the real magic is in the making.  My host mother Evelyne & her son Thomas taught me all about spreading the batter just right on their crêpe machine.  It’s one of my fondest memories of being in their kitchen.

Despite all of these wonderful memories, I don’t make crêpes that often.  I try and save them for times when I really need a jolt of happiness and comfort.  With the first snow here and Christmas around the corner today seemed like a good day for crêpes.

This recipe is for crêpes sucrées, so they’re meant to be filled with something sweet & fruity.  I also love savory crêpes, but we’ll save that for another time.  This recipe will make three 12 inch crêpes, but you can double (or triple) it if need be.  

I’m assuming that most of you probably don’t own a crêpe machine.  I’d recommend using a very flat non-stick 12 inch pan that doesn’t slope too much on the sides.  I used this one from Calphalon (see note at bottom of the page).

For anyone in the market for cookware Calphalon has a program called ReNew.  Basically if you buy a set of their cookware,  you can send them back your old stuff and they’ll recycle it for you.  They even pay for all the shipping charges!  So if you know anyone who might be in the market, getting married, or moving out on their own... this would make a great (& green) Christmas gift.

Alright... enough with the preamble... let there be crêpes!

recommended cooking playlist: Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip

ingredients: 

• 1 cup whole grain all purpose & pastry flour
• 1 cup 1% (or skim) milk
• 1 jumbo egg
• 1 tsp turbinado cane sugar (or splenda)
• a pinch of sea salt (I use Baleine)
• 1 tbsp melted butter or margarine
• extra margarine for your frying pan

Get yourself out a mixing bowl and a whisk.  Yes, a whisk.  Put your flour, milk, egg, cane sugar & salt in the bowl and whisk until there are no lumps.  Next melt your butter and pour it in the bowl.  Whisk that in thoroughly.  Pop the batter in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

During the time you’re waiting for the batter to be ready it’s a good time to start thinking about what to put in your crêpes.  Some people like just a little jam or preserves, in France they usually eat it with Nutella... my mother is from Quebec and seems to think Maple Syrup is the best.

I like mine filled with something a little healthier, fruit.  A simple one is just sliced strawberries & banana.  Tonight I also made a apple-cranberry compote which was delicious.  Here’s how to make it...

Finely dice 1 apple, add to a medium sized saucepan with 1 tbsp margarine on medium heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon with the apple heats and add in 1/2 tsp saigon cinnamon.  Let that simmer for about 5 minutes and then add in 1/4 cup fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup water, 1 tbsp raw cane sugar & 1/2 tsp minit tapioca.  Stir frequently and allow the ingredients to simmer together.  It will take a bit of time but you will end up with a nice thick compote. 

By now you should be ready to make your crêpes.  Put your frying pan on high and melt some margarine in it.  When the margarine is totally melted ladle in your batter.  This is where it gets tricky.  You want to have a thin layer of batter (you’re not making pancakes)... so ladle in enough to mostly cover the bottom of the pan.  Then pick up the pan and slowly rotate it.  As you do this you’ll notice the batter will travel around the edges of the crêpe slowly filling it out.  You might have to put it back on the heat for a few seconds and pick it up to do it again.  

Leave the now crêpe to cook for a minute or 2.  You’ll notice it will start to bubble and steam, that’s okay.  Look at the edges for when they start to brown and you’ll know it’s time to flip.  The easiest way I’ve found to flip them is by turning your spatula upside down, tilting your pan and doing a sort of scoop and flip action. If you mess up just carefully unfold it and continue cooking until both sides are browned.  Slide the finished crêpe out of your pan and on to a plate.  Fill it up with your fruit... et voila!

Joyeux Noël!

Note: I know some of you might have had a jaw-drop at the price of that frying pan.  The truth is my family never really pays full price.  We’re all about shopping the sales and taking advantage of a bargain.  One of our best kept secrets is that we find a lot of great quality kitchen ware at outlet malls in the US.  The Seattle Premium Outlets has a Calphalon store there and everything is much cheaper.  In Canada I frequently make trips to Home Sense and have found amazing deals on Jamie Oliver’s kitchen line.  You don’t have to break the bank to make good food.

Check out the chain of Chelsea Premium Outlets across the US and find some great deals http://chelseapremiumoutlets.com/

And remember.... boxing day is coming up! So shop smart!