Who doesn't love a great Crêpe?
Crêpes are one of France's most versatile culinary creations. They are often referred as a "thin" pancake and are usually made of wheat four. Crêpes are served with a variety of fillings, from a sweet, creamy, berry dessert to a savory dish that may include grilled meats, eggs and sautéed veggies.
If you are looking for an alternate to this yummy favorite, go gluten free (no wheat flour) with my yummy recipe! Pictured are Crêpes topped with a Triple Berry Compote and Slivered Almonds. Recipes for both are listed below. These yummy crepes are great for breakfast, Sunday brunch or an after dinner dessert.
DRY INGREDIENTS FOR CREPES
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour (not sifted)
1/4 cup almond flour or coconut flour (not sifted)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp stevia or 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
WET INGREDIENTS FOR CREPES
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk or vanilla soy milk
1 tsp virgin coconut oil melted
1/2 tsp melted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extracts (orange or almond liquor)
1/3-2/3 cup cold water
Cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREPES
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredient (brown rice flour through baking soda). Lightly mix ingredients together. Using a fork, slowly add the beaten egg to the dry mixture. While still stirring mixture with a fork, slowly add almond or soy milk, melted coconut oil, melted butter and vanilla to create a thick batter. Next slowly add 1/3 cup cold water to the batter mixture. Blend well with fork. For thinner pancakes, slowly add more water. Do not add more than 1/3 cup more water or pancake batter will be too runny.
Spray Crêpe pan (a small, thin frying pan made especially for crêpes) or a medium shallow frying pan with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium-low heat. Don't over heat pan, otherwise cooking spray will starting smoking. Add 1/4 cup crêpe batter to the MIDDLE of the heated pan.
Lifting the pan off of the heat, lightly swirl heated pan in a small circular motion; allowing the crêpe batter to evenly be distributed from the middle of the pan out to the edges of the pan. If using a pan with sloped sides, use the sides to increase the size of the crêpe. Return the pan back to the heat. Cook batter between 1-2 minutes until the batter has a 'dry look' and loses it's 'shiny', 'glossy' look .
Once the first side is cooked, use a spatula to carefully flip the crêpe over making sure the other side of the crêpe lays flat in the pan. Use the spatula to straighten the crêpe if it gets 'bunched up' or 'wrinkled'. Continue cooking the crêpe for 30 more seconds or until done. The crêpe should be a light golden color when completely cooked.
Once crêpes are finished cooking, set aside on a plate. Add desired ingredients to crêpes either by rolling ingredients in crêpes 'burrito style' or fold crêpes in quarters and top with favorite ingredients. Enjoy. Yields 6 small crêpes. Extra crêpes can be refrigerated in a plastic ziplock bag for up to 4 days.
NOTE: Cooked crêpes can be kept warm by placing them in an covered ovenproof dish in a 195 degree F oven.
TRIPPLE BERRY COMPOTE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
4 cups combined fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
1/2 cup water (for frozen berries) or 3/4 cup water (for fresh berries)
1/4 cup sugar or 1 1/2 tsp Stevie
1 tsp vanilla (or orange or almond liqueur)
2-3 Tbls rice flour
DIRECTIONS
In a medium sauce pan, create simple syrup by adding water and sugar together. Cook on medium high for approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until all sugar is dissolved in water. Add vanilla (or orange or almond liqueur) to simple syrup. Stir and cook for 30 seconds longer.
Add all the berries to the simple syrup mixture. Cook on medium high heat until ingredients come to a medium boil. (Not a hard boil). Reduce heat to medium low or low and simmer 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally as to not allow ingredients to stick to bottom of the sauce pan. Cook berry mixture to desired consistency (either chunky or more syrup like).
To thicken mixture, slowly add rice flour 1/2 tablespoon at a time while continually stirring to prevent clumps of flour forming until desired thickness is reached.
NOTE: The more the compote cooks, the thicker it will get. Be careful not to add to much rice flour as a thickener.
Set Triple Berry Compote aside, and allow to slightly cool. Once complete, turn stovetop off. Top each crêpe with desired amount of triple berry compote. Serve warm.
Triple Berry Compote recipe yields approximately 3 cups. in the mixture.
Triple Berry Compote can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator of up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
TRIVIA FUN:
The word Crêpe comes from the Latin word Crispa which means "curled".
Crêpes originated in Brittany, a Northwest region of France.
Orginally, Crêpes were served on Candlemas (La Chandeleur), February 2 or each year to celebrate the Blessings of the Virgin Mary. Thus February 2 became "Le Jour des Crêpes" or "The Day of the Crêpes. Though called by different names from different areas of the World, Crêpes are now enjoyed by many other cultures; such as Americans, Germans, and Japanese to name a few.
