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French Crêpes Recipe
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No-Fail French CrêpesFrom Desperation Dinners (Canada, UK), by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross.
From Alicia: In high school and college, in every French class I ever took, we always cooked crêpes on "culture day." They sound elegant, and they are, but elegant doesn't have to mean difficult to do. After all, high school students can do it. (The trick to these no-fail crêpes is the baking mix, which produces a smooth, even batter that is more forgiving than a classic recipe.)
For weeks after this indulgent lesson, I would satisfy my craving by making dozens of crêpes with every conceivable filling. You can get as complicated as stewing your own fruits, or keep things quick and simple (as we have here) with jam and whipped cream. Be sure to buy seedless, all-fruit jam, of any flavor that suits, and a squirt can with real (not nondairy) cream. Beverly likes to finish her crêpes off with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Ingredients:
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups skim or low-fat milk
3/4 cup plus1 Tbsp reduced-fat biscuit or baking mix, such as Bisquick
2 Tbsp butter, as needed
2/3 cup seedless, fruit-only raspberry jam
Real whipped light cream in an aerosol canInstructions:
Turn on an electric griddle to 350°F (175°C) F. Or begin heating a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Whisk the egg in a 2-quart or larger bowl. Whisk in the milk. Add the biscuit mix and whisk until there are few lumps. The batter will be thin. Butter the griddle, using about 1-1/2 tsp of the butter.
Cook 2 crêpes at once by pouring the batter by scant 1/4-cup-fulls onto the hot griddle. Cook on the first side until the crêpes begin to set and tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 1 minute. Turn and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the crêpes to a plate. Repeat, buttering the griddle as needed, until all the batter is used.
While the crêpes cook, measure out the jam into a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the crêpes: Spread 1 Tbsp jam over one side of each crêpe. Squirt a generous amount of whipped cream over the jam. Starting at that edge, gently roll up the crêpe. Garnish each with about
1 tsp of the remaining jam and a dollop of cream. Serve at once.Yield: Makes about 8 crêpes; serves 4
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