I don't like to exit my bed any earlier than I deem absolutely necessary. The other morning though, I thought about cooking a lavish breakfast -- no milky oatmeal, no buttered toast -- but a real, honest-to-goodness meal of pillowy waffles, or plump blueberry-strewn pancakes. And let me just say, that got me out of bed right quick.
Now crepes. Crepes are a thing of beauty. Eggy and rich and soft and warm, they're such a pretty trick to steal from the French: in no time at all, and with very little effort, you can cook this gorgeously elegant, delicate dish. Don't be concerned if you have trouble getting the shape just right, like pancakes, it can take a few tries to get the pan evenly heated.
Some schools of thought claim that rested the batter ahead of time (or overnight) will improve your crepe. This isn't necessary, but if you have that sort of self-control and patience, by all means try it. You can whisk the batter together by hand, but a much faster method is to whirl it all in a blender.
SWEET CREPES
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Whisk the flour and milk together. Add the water and eggs one at a time, whisking to break-up large lumps. Add the melted butter, salt, and sugar and whisk until the batter is fairly smooth.
Heat a large skillet. Melt some butter in it and pour in about 1/3 cup or more of batter to create the desired sized crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion to spread out the batter. Cook it on low-medium heat until the edges start to brown. Flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side. Continue until the batter is gone, adding butter to the pan every few crepes.
Fill them with whatever you wish. Cinnamon sugar, jam, Nutella, maple syrup. Whipped cream! So many options! A tip? Whipped cream on a breakfast dish is what we in this kitchen call a condiment, so it is practically like eating Dijon mustard or apple cider vinegar.