Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Classic Folded Crêpes with Lemon Sugar and Fresh Lemon Wedges




From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Bring out your dead." The line comes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and it popped into my head in the doctor's office this morning. Plague Flu has hit our community with a vengeance and there wasn't an empty chair in the waiting room of his large practice. I, alas, occupied one of the chairs. Flu had not felled me, but bronchitis claimed me for its own. I'll be fine in a couple of days, but I plan to take things easy, so I hope you won't be disappointed with a few days of really simple recipes. As it happens, the dessert I'm featuring tonight is one of my all-time favorites and it certainly falls into that really simple category. I normally make the crêpes myself and I am including the recipe I use for them in tonight's post, but, truth be told, I used the store-bought variety for our dessert this evening. If you decide to try the crêpes using a commercial variety, you will still want to take a look at the recipe, which contains instructions for filling and folding them. If you have 8 large crepes on hand you can call this dish your own, and, interestingly enough, a few spoonfuls of lemon sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will produce a dessert even sophisticated guests will love. I make lemon sugar by stirring the finely grated zest of one large lemon into two cups of sugar. I store it in a mason jar on my pantry shelf and use it for tea as well as desserts. The third required element for this dessert is a quantity of lemon wedges whose juice is squeezed over still warm crêpes. You'll have to try this treat in order to understand why I hold it in such high regard. The crêpes are spare, simple and scrumptious and I know those of you who try them will love them as much as I do. It is best to serve them warm. Here's how they are made.

Classic Folded Crêpes with Lemon Sugar and Fresh Lemon Wedges...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar, plus 8 teaspoons lemon sugar for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

1) Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10 minutes.
2) While skillet is heating, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.
3) Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute, test heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.
4) Pour 1/4 cup batter into far side of pan and tilt and shake gently until batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crêpe without moving it until top surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on wire rack.
5) Transfer stack of crêpes to large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave on high power until crêpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds (45 to 60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe dry with paper towel. Sprinkle upper half of top crêpe with 1 teaspoon sugar. Fold unsugared bottom half over sugared half, then fold into quarters. Transfer sugared crêpe to second plate. Continue with remaining crêpes. Serve immediately, passing lemon wedges separately. Yield: 8 crêpes - 4 servings.







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25 comments :

Unknown said...

Hy Mary I love to make crepe have a good day simmy

Ginny Hartzler said...

The addition of the lemon sugar sounds divine! I am so sorry you are ill, but at least it is not the flu. It is an epidemic here, too. They are telling people not to go to their doctor uless it is really serious.

Diane said...

I love crepes but do not make them often enough. I don't often make them plain though, the Grand Marnier usually comes out as well :) Diane

Alicia Foodycat said...

Hope you all feel better soon! There is a vicious norovirus going around the UK at the moment, and I am just keeping my fingers crossed! Lemon sugar crepes are so delicious.

Debbie said...

I work in a local hospital and not only have we all gotten our flu shots but we are at the point of wearing masks too! We have been hit hard by the flu here in northern Virginia. Love the crepes Mary and hope you are feeling better soon!

Tanna said...

Mary, I hope you are feeling much better today! I'm most excited about the lemon sugar in my tea, though the crepes sound scrumptious! blessings ~ tanna

Kim said...

This flu this year... everyone I know just had it... Not like H1N1... Love crepes, your looks good this morning!

Unknown said...

Hope you are feeling better soon, Mary! I, for one, love simple recipes, so bring them on!! I still have yet to make crepes - it's always been a fear of mine - but these look and sound incredible!

From the Kitchen said...

Simply delicious! Take care, Mary. If I were nearby I'd show up on your doorstep with chicken soup.

Best,
Bonnie

Anonymous said...

Oh no, I hope you feel better soon.I have never made crepes, I will try,

Cranberry Morning said...

Oh Mary! Don't those look wonderful. And I just crave lemon this time of year.

Susan..... said...

Oh, dear Mary, I give you permission to take the day off to get better, but knowing you, you just won't take the advice I am sure you have often given the Silver Fox.

Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking said...

Your crepes look delicious! Sure hope you get to feeling better soon.

Sprigs of Rosemary said...

I love making crepes! The little drill is soothing. The flu has escaped me and mine, but we did have our shots.
Hope you're getting some good chicken soup and rest, even if it's not the flu.

teresa said...

oh no, i hope you're feeling better soon!

these look amazing! i can't wait to try!

Joanne said...

I hope you feel better soon my dear! I am absolutely hopeless at making crepes so these look quite magical to me!

Unknown said...

Hi Mary! Sorry I haven't been by for some time but I just realised I had removed ALL my blogs by mistake! Duh. Anyway, what a fantastic photograph this is! Get well soon and don't worry, simple really IS best!

Tracy's Living Cookbook said...

Hope you feel better soon!

Ellen Whyte said...

Oh no! And here's me trying to eat sensibly and I looooooove crepes!

Claudia said...

I've only always done Julia's crepes. These are a wee bit different - but the fresh lemon just brings me in. A little spring with my MN winter is called for. I hope you are on the mend soon but you are right to just take it easy. Simple. Love simple.

June said...

Hope you're feeling better soon Mary. Love the idea of lemon sugar for tea.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I hope you are quickly on the mend, Mary, and enjoy some rest.

My husband makes crepe suzette. So yummy.

Fondly,
Glenda

William A. Thedford said...

Yumnmy :) Bang Bang Chicken & Chocolate are my favorite food. I miss the delicious food. I will tell my mom to make this delicious food.

Needful Things said...

I'm your partner in (mild) bronchitis this season and wish someone would whip up these lovely sounding crepes for me this morning!
I hope you're better soon!

France@beyondthepeel said...

I'm sorry you fell ill. It hit our community really hard too. The crepes are beautiful and always a crowd pleaser.

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