Jens Crepes Recipes

BASIC CREPES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
• Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

JEN'S CREPES

Steps:

• In blender, briefly mix together the eggs, milk and salt.
• Add flour and butter or oil. Blend for one minute. Let rest covered in refrigerator for 2 hours (This improves the texture but I usually skip this step.)
• Heat a 10 inch, non-stick skillet on med-high heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into tilted pan; swirl around until bottom of pan is covered with a thin layer of batter. Cook until edges start to curl away from sides of pan, (you may have to adjust heat if it's too hot) then using your fingers and a spatula peel and flip the crepe over. Let cook for few seconds or until you can shake it loose and slide it onto a plate.
• We like to spread one TBS of lemon curd down the middle of one crepe then roll it up like a cigar. This is also very good with a little bit of cottage cheese and lemon curd. Sometimes we use jam or even a little brown sugar. It's all good!

AUNT BETTY'S JELLY CREPES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt. Add flour; beat until smooth. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a 10-in. nonstick skillet. Pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet; lift and turn pan to cover bottom. Cook until lightly browned; turn and brown the other side. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to skillet as needed. Spread crepes with butter and jelly; roll up. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

JEN'S KILLER PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Pour flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Sprinkle shortening chunks over the flour mixture. Pulse in the food processor until mixture has a sandy texture, 3 to 5 one-second pulses.
• Scatter butter pieces over the top of the flour mixture. Pulse in the food processor until butter is the size of small peas, 10 to 15 one-second pulses.
• Sprinkle water over the top of the butter-flour mixture. Pulse until mixture just starts to come together, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. Turn dough out into a bowl. Gently squeeze dough together with your hands to form a ball; the dough should hold together but also still be slightly crumbly. Divide dough into two balls and wrap with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to flatten the ball into a disc. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

EASY CREPES WITH BRANDY

Steps:

• In a blender, combine milk and eggs. Mix on medium-high speed until foamy, about 10 seconds. Turn blender to low speed and remove feed top. With blender going, add sugar and salt. Replace feed top and blend on high speed for a few seconds, then turn blender back to low. In the same manner, add butter, brandy, and vanilla, replacing feed top and blending for several seconds after each addition. Turn blender off. Add flour all at once and blend until just combined.
• Place crepe pan over moderately high heat. With flexible spatula, spread a tiny amount of butter in pan (an alternative method is to brush the pan with melted butter using a pastry brush) and heat until butter just begins to smoke. Pour ¼ to ⅓ cup batter into the center of the pan. As you pour, quickly tilt the pan in all directions to spread a thin layer of batter across the bottom. Pour in just enough batter to cover the pan.
• Cook crepe over moderately high heat until bubbles just begin to form on the exposed surface, about one to two minutes. Lift up the edge to check the cooking process-if the crepe starts to burn before it is cooked through, turn down the heat. If it is not nicely browned after two minutes, turn up the heat.
• When underside of crepe is browned, flip and cook another minute or less, until other side is browned. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven, loosely covered with foil.
• Grease pan with a very small amount of butter and repeat process. Continue until remaining batter is used, stacking cooked crepes on a plate in the oven. To serve, sprinkle each crepe with sugar or spread with jelly and fold or roll up. Do Ahead: Crepe batter can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate, covered, and blend briefly to recombine before cooking.