Breakfast and Dinner Crepes!

The Garden-Fresh Cookbook recipe recommends using a crepe or omelet pan, of which I had neither. I used a standard Teflon pan, which made the flipping a bit more challenging, but the crepes turned out delicious nonetheless.

The crepe batter needs about an hour to chill, but it is so easy to make. This could be a fun batter to make at night for the next morning, especially when spring fresh fruit is ripe for the picking!

After prepping the Basic Crepes batter, I decided to make my own whipped cream. It’s easy to do: All you need is a chilled bowl (about 10 minutes in the fridge—this quickens the setting process); a good, short-handled whisk; a carton of heavy whipping cream (can be found in the dairy case of any grocery store); and 1 to 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.

Before whipping, you should know that the size of the whisk’s handle makes a difference! I learned this the hard way: As I was on my first attempt with my chosen whisk, my dad walked into the kitchen and couldn’t help but laugh at me, covered in sweat, biting my lip, with a towel over my shoulder, stirring with all my might.

Turns out I was whipping wrong: I was using a standard whisk, but the handle was larger and meant for sturdier mixing. This caused my hand to cramp quickly while the cream remained far from whipped. My dad showed me the error of my ways with a whisk with a smaller handle, which made it easier to mix at a faster pace.

With the whipped cream set, the berries sliced, and the crepes warm out of the pan, I set to assembling. The final result was delicious!

Of course, this recipe is equally as good for breakfast or dinner. When I was younger, my family used to love to have breakfast for dinner: We would make waffles or omelets, and now I am adding crepes to the go-to menu! Tell us: What’s your favorite breakfast for dinner?

Basic Crepes (as found on page 16 of The Garden-Fresh Cookbook)

For herb crepes, add ½ teaspoon of dried herbs to the batter during blending

3 eggs
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter, plus some for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and butter and beat until smooth. Add the flour and salt and stir to blend. Cover the bowl with a plate and refrigerate the batter for 1 hour. Warm an omelet pan, crepe pan, or small skillet over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of water sizzles when dropped onto its surface. Brush the pan lightly with melted butter. Pour in just enough chilled batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Slowly swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly around the edges. Cook until the crepe is lightly browned on the bottom and the top is dry. Turn the crepe over and cook the other side for 20 to 30 seconds, or until lightly browned. Stack the crepes between sheets of waxed paper and cover with a clean dish towel until ready to fill and serve.
Makes 12 to 16 crepes.