Crepes
Crepes are such a simple recipe, but the real work is in the frying, which is a sort of alchemy of heat and timing. Crepes in the pan aren’t something you can walk away from; they need your complete attention, something I’m not always very good at.
When we were kids, Nana Cynthia ((You can read her diaries from her teenage years in/around London during the Blitz in WWII here.)) used to make us crepes; always the same delicious topping, lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar. I’m a little taken aback by the weird combos that you can get on crepes – fruit, whipped cream, whatever – when in my opinion, they are always best with just lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar. But really, you can top them with anything, and the savoury or sweet options at creperies are always pretty delicious.
Once, when we were quite young, my sister Sammi decided she wanted to make crepes, and called Nana for the recipe. She wrote it down on a recipe card, where to our amusement she had spelled crepes ‘creapes.’
This is the recipe that Nana dictated to her; we made them last time I was home, and they were delicious.
- 8 tablespoons flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- lemon juice
- confectioner's sugar
- Mix together flour and milk, trying to ensure that there are no lumps.
- Beat in eggs.
- Pour 1/2 cup batter into a piping hot frying pan, rotating pan to ensure that there is a thin, even layer of batter in the pan.
- Fry for 1-2 minutes until bottom is golden brown.
- Flip carefully and fry until the opposite side is also golden brown.
- Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, drizzle with lemon, roll into a tube and serve.
- You can also serve these with any topping that your heart desires - banana and Nutella is a Parisian standard.
