Crepe Recipe with Variations

Martha Stewart’s Basic Crepe Recipe:

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
* 3 large eggs, room temperature
* 2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Directions

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.
2. Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute.
3. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

Crepe Variations:

Crepes with Sauteed Bananas and Chocolate:

To the Basic recipe add 4 t sugar. Heat 1 teaspoon butter in skillet over medium. Add 3 peeled and sliced bananas and 1 T brown sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, until bananas are lightly browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Fold crepes into quarters; top with bananas and 2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate.


Basic buckwheat:
Substitute 3/4 cup buckwheat flour for 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, and add an additional 3/4 cup whole milk. (Makes 40 six-inch or 15 ten-inch crepes. )

Lemon: Spread some fromage blanc or creme fraiche on a large crepe. Sprinkle with a pinch of finely grated lemon zest, and drizzle with honey to taste. Fold crepe in half, and drizzle with more honey. Repeat to make more crepes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, so the balance of sweet and sour can be easily adjusted.


Crepes with Cantal Cheese:
Ingredients
* 1 thin slice of Cantal
* Basic Crepes, preferably buckwheat
* Butter
Directions
1. Place a thin slice of Cantal on a large crepe, preferably buckwheat. Create a packet by folding sides around cheese. Cook, starting seam side down, in a saute pan over medium-low heat with just a touch of butter, until both sides are crisp and browned, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat to make more crepes. Serve immediately.


Cyndi Monte Cristo Crepe:
Use the basic crepes already made. Sauté slices of ham in butter (You can also add turkey). Take one open crepe and layer one slice of swiss cheese and then the sautéed meat (you can also add cooked bacon). Fold over the edges. Do this to the amount of crepes you want. Using a heated sauté, non-stick pan, add a little butter and put the crepes into the hot skillet folded side down. Sauté enough to hold its folded form (2 minutes) and then do the other side. Take sautéed crepes, sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle your choice of jam/preserves. I suggest raspberry, the typical monte cristo uses black raspberry.