There are a million ways to enjoy crepes. The delicate pancakes have a relatively plain flavor on their own that can easily be transformed into sweet and savory delights. You can even stack them with cream or chocolate fillings to create multi-layer crepe cakes! It is fun – and tasty – to experiment with new ways to enjoy crepes, but I must confess that I usually keep things simple when serving them at home, rolling them up with seasonal jams or filling them with butter and sugar. Don’t be fooled into thinking that “simple” is any less delicious, though. One bite of these Cinnamon Sugar Crepes and you’ll be hooked, too!
The crepe batter is is my go-to recipe because it is both easy and versatile. It can be whisked up by hand, but it takes just seconds to combine in a blender or food processor. Once the batter has been prepared, pour out a thin layer into a hot, nonstick skillet to start cooking. Cook the crepe on one side, then carefully flip it over. The filling is added while the crepe is still in the pan. The crepe will need a much shorter cooking time on the second side, so have all your ingredients ready.
The filling is made by spreading softened butter all over the crepe, then by generously sprinkling cinnamon sugar over the butter. The crepe is carefully folded to trap the sweet, buttery filling and served while it is hot. It may not sound fancy, but it is absolutely delicious.
The crepe batter can be prepared the night before and stored in the fridge so that you can make these even more quickly. The batter can also be halved if you want to make a smaller batch. I usually use a 10-inch skillet to make generously sized crepes, but an 8-inch will work just as well and will simply yield a few extra crepes. Even though you’re using a nonstick pan, lightly butter the pan before pouring in your batter to give the crepe an extra buttery flavor.
Cinnamon Sugar Crepes
2 cups milk (pref. whole or low fat)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
softened butter
Combine milk, eggs, flour and salt in a blender or food processor and pulse until a smooth batter is formed. Let batter rest for at least 15 minutes to eliminate bubbles.
While the batter is resting, prepare the filling by combining sugar, cinnamon and salt in the small bowl. Set the softened butter near your cooktop.
Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. Lightly grease the pan with butter, then pour enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom of the skillet (about 1/2 cup for an 8- to 10-inch skillet). Tilt the pan until batter is evenly spread out, then cook the crepe until the top is just set and the bottom is very lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Slide a spatula around the edge of the crepe to release it, then flip it over to cook on the other side, about 1 minute more.
While crepe cooks on the second side, spread it with a little softened butter and generously sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture. Fold the crepe in half, then fold it in half again (quarters). Slide onto a serving plate and serve hot.
Makes 10-12 crepes.
What do you think?