The Quarantine Cookbook: Crepe escape

Being trapped at home by COVID-19, my mind inevitably turns to food. Seriously, I’ve started planning meals days ahead of time. The only regularity in my schedule is eating food. In order to feel less guilty about this, I’ve decided to put my cravings to good use and make something that will please my whole family, since I’m such a good daughter. For those of you who read my previous stir-fry recipe, you know I like meals that are easily customizable and crowd-pleasing, and crepes fit that bill exactly! You can put literally anything you find in your kitchen on these. The only limit is your imagination. 

Adapted from this recipe.

Total cook time: An hour

Servings: Let’s go with four. I mean, I ate at least half the crepes I made for my family, but that’s my own personal problem.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan

1 cup all-purpose flour (I don’t actually know what kind of flour I used here, I just got it from the jar on the counter. You have one of these counter jars, too, right?)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature (my milk was neither whole nor room temperature)

1/2 cup room temperature water

2 large eggs, at room temperature (got mine right from the fridge)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Step 1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend them. Make sure to scrape off any flour stuck to the sides. If you don’t have a blender, just whisk it together in a bowl and sieve out any lumps. Lumps are the death of crepes. Put the mix in the fridge to chill.

Step 2. Get out your toppings. The Sasseville family spread included sliced bananas, nutella, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter, almond butter, apricot jam, raspberry jam, blueberry jam and several kinds of nuts. I’d also recommend M&Ms, marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and other similar unhealthy toppings to take you back to your childhood. If you’re in the mood for a savory crepe, you can use cheese, sauteed vegetables, sliced meats, scrambled eggs and more.

Step 3. Heat a round, non-stick pan and melt a small amount of butter. Pour about a quarter cup of batter right in the center and immediately swirl the pan to spread out the batter into a thin circle. Once the edges are beginning to crisp up and you can lift them easily, gently flip the crepe and cook for about another minute, then transfer to a plate. The first crepe will inevitably end up kind of crappy, but once you figure out the right amount of butter and heat, they’ll get better and better until you could basically be a Parisian chef! The great thing about crepes is that each one takes such a small amount of batter that you get a lot of tries at this, so by the end your good crepes will outnumber the bad ones.

Step 4. Add toppings! I like a combination of bananas, nutella and chocolate chips, but follow your heart. If you like your toppings extra warm and melty, put them on while the crepe is still in the pan — just be careful to do it quickly, or the crepe might burn.

Step 5. Fold it in whatever way seems best. For my banana crepes, I usually just fold each side in, like a really loose burrito. If I’m going simple with just a jam, I’ll fold it in half and then quarters. This really is an art process. Only you know what’s best.

Step 6. Decorate! A drizzle of chocolate sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar elevates this from a home-cooked meal to a delicacy.

Step 7. Enjoy. You are now a talented chef, artist and the pride of the family. As my father said when I found toilet paper at Target at 8 a.m. the other day, “You are a hero. You will go down in family lore for this.”