Basic Crepes
An easy, but elegant breakfast dish that’s perfect for holiday mornings, these crepes can be used with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. Our Test Kitchen chefs love serving them with sauteed plums and fresh whipped cream. Before you cook the crepes, be sure to let the batter rest, either at room temperature for 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator, so that the dry ingredients have time to absorb the liquid. This way the batter will have a thicker consistency and fewer air bubbles, which means the crepes will have a finer texture..
Ingredients
For the crepes:
- 1 cup (5 oz./155 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
For the plums:
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) water
- 2/3 cup (5 oz./155 g) sugar
- 3 or 4 firm Simka or Santa Rosa plums, halved, pitted and each half cut into 8 slices
- Pinch of salt
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) sugar
Directions
To make the crepes, in a blender, combine the flour, milk, eggs and salt and blend on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
Place a crepe pan or 8-inch (20-cm) nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Gently stir the batter, then pour 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) into the pan, lifting and tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crepe is golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crepe and cook until golden on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more nonstick spray to the pan as needed and stacking the crepes, separated by parchment or waxed paper, as they are ready. You should have at least 12 crepes.
To make the plums, in a large, nonreactive sauté pan over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes to make a thin syrup. Add the plum slices and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the plums are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and swirl the mixture in the pan until the butter is melted.
To make the whipped cream, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the mascarpone cheese, cream and sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.
To serve, place 2 crepes on each of 6 plates. Top each pair of crepes with about 3 Tbs. of the whipped cream and 1/3 cup of the plums. Serve immediately. Makes 12 crepes; serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen