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When school starts up again, a couple of my mom friends and I have brunches at each others houses to celebrate our freedom. An entire summer of finding things to do for the kids is exhausting. As soon as the kids are dropped off at school, we drive over to that days location. Of course, the other hosts make the standards like pancakes, fruit kabobs, or different styles of eggs, but I wanted to switch it up and impress them with a crepe bar.
I set up the crepe bar with some sweet fillings and some savory filling. There were obviously leftovers, but that was no problem! I simply served it as breakfast the next morning to the kids. I also had my husband’s lunch covered for the week.
My friends are the health conscious type, so I found a recipe for buckwheat crepes for an almost gluten free twist on the classic. Buckwheat, which isn’t actually related to wheat at all, is completely gluten free. So we have to add a ½ cup of all purpose flour to give it some structure and hold it together better.
Start by placing the buckwheat flour, and the all purpose flour in medium sized bowl.
Whisk in the eggs, ¼ cup of oil, ½ cup of beer, ¾ milk, 1 ¼ cups water, and salt until there are no lumps. (You could also use a blender for this step.) It should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Heating the milk to warm, not boiling, along with the butter before adding to the eggs and flour ensures a delicious batter. The warm milk/butter combination allows the butter to stay in suspension, which means the fat is evenly distributed in the batter and the crepes won’t stick to the pan when you flip the crepes.
The beer helps the crepes to be more tender and gives them a great flavor. You can also use club soda in place of the beer.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
If you can make the batter the night before, or 8 hours before you plan to make crêpes, they will be better than straight away. This resting period allows the gluten in the flour to develop and bond to the milk and eggs, and this yields a more complex flavor.
Heat 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with a small amount of oil (if you use too much the batter will pull in from the sides and look messy). Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet, and tilt to coat bottom. Cook the crepe until it’s started to dry out around the edges, adjusting heat to prevent burning, 30 to 45 seconds. Using a spatula, turn the crepe over, and cook for 30 more seconds.
Fully expect for the first crepe to fail. It’s OKAY! It is basically a tester for your heat, greasing, and flipping skills.
Transfer the cooked crepe to a kitchen towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes between sheets of plastic wrap.
You can always store the cooked crepes in your refrigerator and eat them as a snack or dessert in the days to come.There are a million different ways you could fill your crepes. So you could literally eat them every morning and never get bored of them.
Sweet ideas:
- Cheese Blintzes with Homemade Blackberry Syrup – An incredibly simple, yet fancy breakfast or dessert.The sweet creamy filling,paired with the tangy syrup creates a delicious bright flavor.
- Butter and Powdered Sugar – No prep necessary, and is sure to please everyone.
- Nutella and Strawberry Filled Crepes– This is a chocolate lovers dream come true. The fresh strawberries keep the nutella from being too sweet, so you can eat even more of it!
- Crepes with agave-ricotta cheese filling, topped with pears roasted in honey
Savory Ideas:
- Spinach Artichoke and Brie Crepes with Sweet Honey Sauce –
- Bacon Feta Garden Vegetable Crepes With Skinny Greek Yogurt Hollandaise Sauce –
- Crepes with Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Filling – A hearty and flavorful dinner
Best Buckwheat Crepes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus additional for skillet
- 1/2 cup beer
- 3/4 cup nonfat milk
- 1 1/4 cups (or more) water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Place the buckwheat flour and the all purpose flour in medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, 1/4 cup oil, milk, ½ cup of beer, 1 1/4 cups water, and salt.
Heat 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; brush pan with oil. Add 1/4 cupful batter to skillet; tilt to coat bottom. Cook crepe until golden on bottom, adjusting heat to prevent burning, 30 to 45 seconds. Using spatula, turn crepe over; cook 30 seconds. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes between sheets of plastic wrap. DO AHEAD- Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
Recipe Notes:
- Batter can be made a day ahead of time.
- Club soda can be substituted in for the beer.
- Leftover crepes can be stored in the fridge for up to five days.
What fillings will you try in your crepes?