From sweet to savory, crêpes can fit any occasion

This Sunday is Mother’s Day; I hope you’re ready. It’s celebrated by more than 40 countries around the world, some in March and many in May, since spring is generally considered the right time to honor mothers, motherhood and that special person who gave you the gift of life. I’m delighted at the prospect of saying “congratulations” to all the women in my life who are wonderful mothers. And, to help you do the same, I’ll give you some recipe ideas.

As you may imagine, finding a restaurant that isn’t overcrowded and noisy on Mother’s Day is an annual challenge. My solution is to make a special dish for brunch or dinner, set the table with fancy linens, china and silver, open a bottle of champagne and share a home-cooked meal with the special women in my family. This year, it will be crêpes for brunch, like the raspberry ones seen in the photo.

What do you think when someone mentions crêpes? For many of us, it’s an image of a thin pancake rolled around a sweet, fruity jam or a rich, creamy filling, often topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. Or, you may imagine the flames of Grand Marnier liqueur in a fancy restaurant as the waiter sets alight a plate of Crêpes Suzette at tableside.

The word crêpe (as well as the food itself) comes to us from the Brittany region of France around the 13th century. Its name comes from the Old French word “crespe,” derived from the Latin “crispa" or “crispus” meaning curled, which describes the delicate, frilly edges of crepes when they’re cooked. Like so many foods, there are many dishes similar to the French version of the rolled or folded pancake in different cuisines: Consider the Spanish enchilada, the Chinese egg roll, the Russian blintz and the Ethiopian injera.

An urban legend describes the origins of the crêpe, featuring a harried French cook who accidentally dribbled batter onto a hot, flat cooktop and found the result quite tasty. Although making crêpes is simple to do, houseware vendors would have you believe you need to purchase a specifically designed pan complete with an accessory called a rateau (similar to the device used to rake chips at the roulette table). I did just fine with a Gotham-steel skillet and my fingers.

All the appliances you need for perfect crêpes are a blender and a nonstick skillet. A batter of milk, flour, eggs and melted butter needs the high-speed spinning of the blender’s blades to completely disperse the flour and emulsify the butter. Once the mixture is smooth, allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes, or you can make it in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days.

During this resting time, the starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the surrounding liquid. This causes the molecules to swell and slightly thicken the consistency of the batter. Gluten that would have formed during the mixing step is starting to relax and air bubbles are dissolving. All of this ensures a uniform, thin structure with a delicate (not chewy) texture.

If you’re making several crêpes in advance, store them between pieces of parchment paper or waxed paper, keeping them warm and pliable. For the dish in the photo, we rolled the crêpes around fresh raspberries and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. Some recipes will call for folding the crêpes into quarters to keep the contents secure. One of the more dramatic crêpe presentations is in the mille crêpe cake, which layers a dozen crêpes with cream cheese frosting into an impressive dessert. Happy Mother’s Day!

Sweet Crêpes

4 eggs

1 C milk

1/3 C water

1/4 C melted butter

3 T sugar

1 C flour

1/4 t vanilla

powdered sugar

Place the eggs in a blender and pulse to break the yolks. Add milk, water and melted butter; pulse to combine. Add sugar, flour and vanilla; process until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Cover and set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes before cooking. To cook, heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium high. Ladle about 1/4 C batter into pan, twirling to spread batter evenly across the bottom. Cook until set, about 1 minute, then turn and cook another 30 seconds. Fill with fruit slices, berries, Nutella, whipped cream or jam; roll and dust with powdered sugar.

Savory Crêpes

4 eggs

1 C milk

1/3 C water

1/4 C melted butter

1 C buckwheat flour

1/4 t salt

Place the eggs in a blender and pulse to break the yolks. Add milk, water and melted butter; pulse to combine. Add flour and salt; process until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Cover and set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes before cooking. To cook, heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium high. Ladle about 1/4 C batter into pan, twirling to spread batter evenly across the bottom. Cook until set, about 1 minute, then turn and cook another 30 seconds. Fill with creamed spinach, sautéed mushrooms, scrambled eggs or diced ham and cheese; roll or fold into quarters.

Mille Crêpe Cake

4 eggs

1 C milk

1/3 C water

4 T melted butter

1 C flour

2 T sugar

1 C softened butter

12 oz sweetened condensed milk

8 oz softened cream cheese

2 t vanilla

Place the eggs in a blender and pulse to break the yolks. Add milk, water and melted butter; pulse to combine. Add flour and sugar; process until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Cover and set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes before cooking. While batter rests, make the frosting cream: Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To cook crêpes, heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium. Ladle about 1/4 C batter into pan, twirling to spread batter evenly across the bottom. Cook until set, about 1 minute, then turn and cook another 30 seconds. Place cooked crêpes in a single layer on a sheet of waxed paper and allow to cool to room temperature. To assemble, place a crêpe on a serving plate and spread with 3 T cream; repeat until all crêpes are used (usually between 12 and 15 layers), saving the most attractive crêpe for the top. Refrigerate for at least six hours before serving to make sure layers stay intact when sliced. Garnish with powdered sugar or sliced berries, if desired.

Send comments, questions and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net.