Strawberries and Cream Crepes

Do you ever find a dish you love at a restaurant and forever after always order only that dish?  I do.  I mean, why mess with perfection?  It drives my husband crazy.  He doesn't get it.  The particular dish I'm referring to is the strawberry crepes at Village Inn.  I always order them.  Always.  Why?  

1. They are seriously good.
2. I never make them at home.  (Cuz crepes are scary.)

Well, I thought they were scary and complicated.  Until some friends of ours invited us over for brunch and served...crepes!  I was in awe, and complimented my friend on her culinary prowess.  She kept insisting they were really easy.  I kept thinking, "Maybe for you."

Funny thing.  After that brunch my HUSBAND was inspired to make crepes.  The man whose skills in the kitchen extend to making eggs...and pretty much nothing else.  I was laughing inside and expecting an epic fail but was completely surprised when he succeeded.  And easily!  Honestly, I was a little miffed that a culinary neanderthal had triumphed at something I'd been too scared to try.

The secret to his success?  A super easy recipe that doesn't require you to chill the batter for an hour or more (one of the reasons I'd avoided crepes - I never plan ahead).  And a non-stick frying pan or skillet.  Seriously no fail.

Well, once I put on my big girl panties and decided to try making them myself, I decided I wasn't just going to make crepes, I was going to make strawberries and cream crepes like the ones at Village Inn!   And after lots of internet searches and some adjustments, I've got something close enough that I may actually order something DIFFERENT next time.

If you would feel better seeing a video tutorial, check out this one.  He disses making the batter in a blender, but just ignore him because it's much simpler.  Starting at about 1:10 he shows you how to make a crepe.  He makes them much thinner than me, but you get the general idea.

Here's a crappy photo of my crepes:

One side is usually a mottled light brown, and the other side will have a lacy golden brown pattern.  They are VERY EASY to flip over.  You just slip a spatula under it and turn it over.  And it holds together and doesn't rip apart!

Now, some people like to roll their crepes, but I like to fold them.  I spread half the crepe with the cream mixture like so:

Then fold the top over, and fold in half again:

And by the way, you don't have to fill these with strawberries and cream.  You can just use fresh fruit or do what my brunch friend does - fill them with strawberries, bananas, and Nutella!

Crepes can also be a savory dish, filled with veggies and sauces.  Just Google "savory crepes recipe" and you'll find all kinds of recipes to try.

Don't be afraid to try making them, like me.  You can do it!  I recommend making the strawberry glaze and cream filling first.

BASIC CREPES
from Allrecipes.com

4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Add all ingredients into a blender.  Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.

Heat an 8- or 10-inch nonstick griddle or frying pan over medium heat.  Lightly coat with cooking spray.  Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into pan, tilting the pan in a circular motion so the batter coats evenly.  Cook until top is dry and bottom is a light golden brown (about 45 seconds).  Flip with a spatula and finish cooking other side (about 20 seconds).  Repeat with remaining batter.  (You probably won't need more cooking spray.)

Makes about 16-18 8-inch crepes.


CREAM FILLING
from Strawberry Creme Crepes on tasteofhome.com

1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.  In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  Fold in whipped cream.  Refrigerate until using.


STRAWBERRY TOPPING
adapted from Strawberry Creme Crepes on tasteofhome.com

4 cups fresh, sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch (= 4 1/2 tsp.)
3/4 cup water (or more for a thinner glaze)
1 tsp. lemon juice
red food coloring, optional

Mash enough strawberries to equal 1/2 cup strawberry puree.  In a small saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch.  Whisk in strawberry puree, water, and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for one minute, until thickened (adding a little more water if you want a thinner glaze).  Stir in a couple of drops of red food coloring, if desired.  Let cool to room temperature before stirring in sliced strawberries.  Refrigerate leftovers.