Ah Paris, the “City of Love”—and the home to some of the best pastries and breads on Earth—croissants, brioche, baguettes, you name it! One of my favorite Parisian foods though is the crepe. Light, fluffy, airy and full of magical goodness, nothing quite says French dessert like a warm crepe. When Jacob and I visited Paris, I knew that the food was near the top of my list of things I had to try out. While Jacob geeked out over history and art, I was anxiously hunting down every corner cafe (and there really are cafe’s on every corner) to find inspiring food.
After climbing down from the Eiffel Tower on our first evening in Paris, we made our way around the block, meandered through the various cafes and settled on a little place with a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. We sat ourselves at one of the miniature tables, with barely enough room for two plates. A dashingly handsome french waiter (sorry, Jacob) came over and offered a welcome, (“Bonjour Mademoiselle,” as my heart turned to mush) and I offered a timid, “Eh, parlez vous Anglais?” To which he replied “I practice everyday.” After ordering our meals, we were offered a dessert menu. This was my chance to try my first true Parisian crepe and it certainly did not disappoint! Drenched in a tart lemon syrup and sprinkled with sugar, this crepe was luscious. Paris had more than just lemon crepes though, they had strawberry crepes and Nutella crepes and banana crepes and the list goes on. Little mobile crepe stands were set up at famous locations around the city, each of them showing off Nutella jars the size of a small child. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Jacob had to put up with me stopping our travels every few hours to sit at a cafe, enjoy a handmade crepe and watch the crowds bustle through this amazing city.
All growing up, my family’s favorite treat for special occasions was crepes. We’d have them for breakfast usually served with all of the breakfast fixin’s (bacon, sausage, eggs, orange juice, you name it!). I learned to love the delicacy at a young age, which allowed me to appreciate the crepes I tried in Paris that much more. This crepe recipe will make you feel “la vie ne peut pas ere miex! (Life cannot be better) Bon Appetit!
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 2 cups flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
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Mix all ingredients together with a whisk, until lumps have dissolved. Place batter in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days to allow the batter to rest (or the crepes will be rubbery).
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After batter has had time to rest, heat a frying pan over high heat. Melt a half tablespoon of butter in the frying pan. Using a 1/4 cup, scoop batter and pour onto hot frying pan, twisting the pan while pouring the batter onto it. The batter should cover the bottom of the pan. Cook the crepe until bubbles start to appear and the edges look dry (about 30 seconds to a minute). With a spatula, gently ease up each of the sides of the crepe slowly working your way to the middle and then flip. Wait another 30 seconds to thoroughly cook the other side, then remove from heat. Continue until all of the batter has been used. If batter starts to stick to frying pan, melt more butter in half tablespoon increments. Fold crepes into fourths and top with berries, powdered sugar, etc.
- Crepes can be served with a variety of different toppings. Berries, bananas, Nutella, peanut butter, whipped cream, powdered sugar, what ever your heart desires.
- To store cooked crepes, place a layer of parchment paper or waxed paper between each crepe to prevent them from sticking. Wrap the stack of crepes in aluminum foil. Crepes can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just warm crepes in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy!
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