basic crepes

makes 8 to 10 unfilled crepes

You can make the crepes a day or two before. Just let them cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. To heat, warm on a tray in a 250ºF oven or zap in the microwave. The kids love these with a smear of peanut butter and nutella. You can also go savory and fill them with shredded cheese, roasted vegetables and thinly sliced ham.

1 large egg

3/4 cup (6 ounces/168 ml) whole milk

1/2 cup (70 grams) flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, melted & divided

To make the crepes, add the egg, milk, flour, salt and 1 tablespoon of melted butter to the bowl of a blender. Blend until smooth, and there are no visible lumps. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium flame. Add a small amount, 1/2 teaspoon or so, of the remaining melted butter, swirling pan to coat. Pour enough batter into the skillet to thinly coat the bottom, a very scant ¼ cup, and swirl to form a circle of batter. Once edges are crisp and air bubbles appear on top, about 45 seconds to 1 minute, flip and cook for 15 to 30 more seconds on the other side. Transfer to a plate and continue making crepes with the rest of the batter, coating pan with melted butter as needed.

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vanilla bean crepes

makes 8 to 10 unfilled crepes

ingredients for basic crepe recipe (see above)

Follow directions, adding the vanilla bean seeds to the blender bowl before mixing. Proceed with steps listed for making crepes, as directed in the basic crepe recipe.

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dairy-free crepes

makes 8 to 10 unfilled crepes

You can make the crepes a day or two before. Just let them cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a plastic bag. To heat, warm on a tray in a 250ºF oven or zap in the microwave.

1 large egg

3/4 cups (6 ounces) almond milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise & seeds scraped

1/2 cup (70 grams) flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Canola cooking spray (like the one from Trader Joe's)

To make the crepes, add the egg, almond milk, flour, and salt to the bowl of a blender. Blend until smooth, and there are no visible lumps. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium flame. Remove pan from flame and coat with cooking spray. Pour enough batter into the skillet to thinly coat the bottom, a very scant ¼ cup, and swirl to form a circle of batter. Once edges are crisp and air bubbles appear on top, about 45 seconds to 1 minute, flip and cook for 15 to 30 more seconds on the other side. Transfer to a plate and continue making crepes with the rest of the batter, coating pan with cooking spray as needed.

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dairy-free vanilla bean crepes

makes 8 to 10 unfilled crepes

Ingredients for dairy-free crepe recipe (see above)

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise & seeds scraped

Follow directions, adding the vanilla bean seeds to the blender bowl before mixing. Proceed with steps listed for making crepes, as directed in the dairy-free crepe recipe.

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brown butter apple pie filling

makes enough to fill 8 to 10 crepes

This is basically my apple pie filling cooked on the stovetop. It can be made 1 to 2 days in advance, as well. Just store in the refrigerator in a covered container, then heat in a small pot over low flame or zap in the microwave. See note at end fo recipe to make this filling dairy-free too.

2 medium apples (about 1 pound), peeled & sliced ¼-inch thick

1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) sea salt

1 tablespoon flour

Juice and freshly grated zest from 1/2 a lemon

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter

1/4 cup good-quality caramel sauce, optional

In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, sugar, salt, flour, lemon juice and lemon zest; set aside.

Add butter to a heavy bottomed non-stick skillet over moderately high heat. Cook until it begins to brown, but not burn; it will smell nutty and fragrant. Add the apple mixture reduce heat to medium. Saute until the apple begin to soften, then cover pan. Reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid thickens into a “sauce”, and apples are very tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Spoon filling into crepes, fold into triangles (for details on folding read this recipe) and drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.

Note: to make this dairy free, omit the butter and just add a few tablespoons of water to the pan when you saute the apples. While the apples will have a lovely, natural flavor, you can also add cinnamon (as I did) or other pie spices, such as cloves, nutmeg or ginger.