Want to bring some difference in your breakfast? If you have a classic crepe recipe, then it is no longer a mystery! Crepes are basically French pancakes which are paper thin. These thin pancakes are delicious in sweet recipes. Well, not only breakfast but also for a quick night dinner crepe folded around melted gruyere is a classic menu.
One can easily make crepe pancakes if knows the proper recipe. Pancakes can satisfy your appetite any time of your day or night meal. These are simple to make but only if you know the secret tips to make it perfect.
You can use top rated crepe pans for cooking crepe pancakes. To ensure the delicacy and lightly golden color of your crepe pancake here I am introducing with 10 secret tips for making a perfect crepe. Read all the points we’ve mentioned for ensuring the perfection of your pancake!
How to make the perfect crepes – 10 secret tips
Here are the secret tips for making perfect crepes –
1. Basic ingredients for crepe batter:
The ingredients for a crepe batter are mainly five items – 1. Eggs, 2. Milk, 3. Flour, 4. Melted butter, & 5.Salt. You can whisk these with your hand. But use of a blender will give you smoothest batter.
You should maintain a proper consistency of the batter. And the condition should be such that slightly thinner than heavy cream. If you want a sweet crepe, then add sugar and vanilla. When you are whisking, there should be no lumps in the batter.
2. 30 minutes resting time:
You may think after mixing all the ingredients, you shouldn’t wait and skip the resting time. But that will only make the batter less consistency. Within the given time, the flour absorbs the liquid from the batter. And also during this time, the gluten can mix well.
If you skip the step it will not be a great mistake but it is a good practice for making a delicate pancake which will fill your mouth within a moment. The resting time is generally 30 minutes in the room temperature.
But if you want to refrigerate it, then it is two days. If you prepare the mix the night before then you don’t have to wait for the room temperature. Before cooking, give the mix a stir so that you can understand if the batter is too thick or thin.
If it appears to be too thick, then add some milk gently with it. Take tablespoon milk at a time and stir it. And make the consistency as you want. The thick batter appears when it has become totally hydrated.
3. Use crepe pan:
Well-seasoned crepe pans are the ideal one for making crepes. It is because the short sides of the pan make easy to flip the pancake. The heavy bottom of the creep pan provides consistent heat and the cooking will be perfect.
Upside down crepe pan for cooking, the crepe is the suitable one in this regard. There are many sizes of crepe pans. The size of the crepe pan depends on the size of the crepe pancake you want to make. The usual size is seven to eight inches.
4. Medium heat:
After stirring the batter, next job is to place it on the pan. When the pan is on the stove, ensure that the heat is medium and the pan is getting hot. But prevent it from getting too hot because that causes the burn of the crepe.
As the cooking continues, you may have to adjust the heat to medium-low from medium when it needs. Again, too heat pan will prevent the batter from getting spread to the edges. As the result, the pancakes will consist of holes or those will have an uneven thickness. So, proper heating is a great issue for making perfect crepe pancake.
5. Fat:
Addition of fat is necessary if you want to make amazing flavored crepes. Fat butter is ideal because the crepes won’t stick and both the flavor and smell will be great. Melt the butter and then coat the pan with it using a pastry brush or paper towel.
When you are coating the pan, make sure that the coat is light. When the proportion of butter is not well it can cause the crepe greasy and will become crispy which is undesirable. The color of the crepe will not as like as you want and it will be dark brown. So adding butter should be in the limit.
6. Measuring the proportion:
Another matter that you need to keep in the mind is to maintain the proportion of the batter you are placing on the crepe pans for cooking. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter at a time on the center of the crepe pan which can spread seven to eight inches.
It will ensure your dreamy lacy crepe pancake. A spout is helpful to you for ensuring the proportion. You can pour the batter with a spot on the pan. If you don’t have a spout, then use ladle or measuring cup and maintain the right proportion every time.
7. Proper technique:
When you place the batter on the pan that should be on the center. So you need to lift the pan and tilt your wrist to make sure that the batter is covering one side of the crepe pan. And keep your wrist tilting on other directions so that the batter can coat the whole pan.
The pouring of the batter should be consistent otherwise the thickness of your crepe will not be even. For making it perfect, you need the practice of the proper technique.
8. Use rubber spatula:
When the top side of the crepe dried up then it is ready to flip. For loosening the edges, use a rubber spatula. After lifting the edge with a spatula, peel the creeps and turns it over. Let the second side of the crepe get cooked.
It will take less time than the previously cooked side of the crepe. The golden color of the bottom will indicate that the work is done. Without a rubber spatula, you can make creeps but the task will seem tough if you are the first timer.
9. Clean towel:
Stack the crepes on a dish and cover those with a clean towel. Take these under a towel until all the pancakes are made. The tip will make sure that the crepes are staying warm. If you are going to make the fold around savory ham, then the warm crepe will make it easier. But when they are filled, they don’t have to be piping hot.
10. Crepe fillings:
The filling can be anything as you want. It can be your favorite jam. Or you can fill the crepe with lobster, shrimp or gruyere. These will be like your main course if you add lobster or shrimp and you can complete your dinner.
Otherwise, you can make only magnificent crepe cakes for your daily breakfast. So the filling can be anything and depends on your taste and time to eat.
How to cook crepes on a griddle?
You can also use a pancake griddle for making crepes along with the crepe pan for cooking. Here is the procedure for you –
- First, beat eggs on a bowl with a wire whisk. The mixing should be well enough.
- With the egg, add flour, sugar salt. Mix all the ingredients all together until they are well mixed. Take care that this is not over mixed because that will create tough crepes which are not desirable.
- After mixing the four ingredients, add milk with it and mix again.
- Then add some butter with the mixture until incorporated. And then rest the mixture for about 15 minutes. It will make sure that the batter is not too liquid.
- Then take a griddle and pour a specific amount of batter at the center of the griddle. Use a spatula for spreading the batter all over the griddle and make sure the coating is thin. When the color is brown, turn the crepe over and let the other side for cooking. When brown color appears, the cooking is finished.
- After the cooking, remove the crepe from the griddle. You will not have to coat the griddle each time with butter.
Cooking on crepe pan and griddle is almost the same and if you can do properly from these you can make the best crepe.
Conclusion
Cooking is an art that needs to do perfectly with much patience. And making pancake is something which needs the perfection and also the experience. But an exact recipe is the first requirement for making perfect crepes. You should choose crepe pans for cooking diligently.
After going through the whole article, now you know the tips and tricks for making nice crepes. Along with the secret tips, you yourself need to have some idea of proportion. Because you may not make crepes only for your family and there may be guests in your house. So with these tips, enjoy crepe making!
