Crepes (dinner and dessert)

Most "Craperies" in this country use these crepes for dinner as well as dessert. Posh! These are very clearly dessert crepes. If you want to fill your crepes with dinnery things then see recipe below for savory crepes, better known as "galettes".

Ingredients

1 cup flour (125 g.)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
(1/2 cup water)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. melted butter
Butter for pan



Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except water in a blender; if it doesn't look runny enough, add up to 1/2 cup water



2. Ideally, let the blended ingredients sit in the fridge for an hour (it will tear less easily)

3. Place about a ladle full of batter onto the side of a lightly buttered pan over medium-high heat, then pick up the pan and swirl the batter around the pan until it covers the entire pan



4. When the top looks dry (and maybe a bit bubbly), turn the crepe over and lower the heat to medium (I find it easiest to use a rubber spatula and a burger flipper; if you can flip it in the pan by using the pan handle, more power to you)

Dry looking edges, a bit bubbly:



5. Here is when you should add butter and sugar if you are making butter/sugar crepes



DINNER CREPES (Galettes):

1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
3/4 - 1 cup Milk
2 Eggs
2 T. melted butter
1 tsp Salt
Water just in case (you want it to look like a runny batter)

You can also try 2/3 Buckwheat and 1/3 All-Purpose. Won't be as easy to work with but will have a stronger flavor.

Fill it with any savory fillings you want, but if you want to go for the classic galette, filling should include ham, egg, sauteed mushrooms (sauteed with say, olive oil, garlic, and white wine), and gruyere, or any combination thereof! Can also use turkey if you're husband is a zealot. *cough*

Don't forget to let it sit for an hour!

Key Lime Strawberry Crepes

Now, this came about as a result of a complete accident. What I had intended to make was key lime pie; what I didn't realize is that evaporated milk and condensed milk aren't the same thing...oops. This turned out as a thoroughly gloppy mess, which I figured I was going to have to throw away. By chance, however, I tasted the goopy mess and it was delicious! I topped it on top of strawberries and it was amazing. Then, since I had just made some crepe batter anyway, I added the three together and what resulted was a REALLY nice dessert, and certainly much more attractive than its original.

Since this was truly an accident, I will attempt to recreate here in recipe form.

By the way, key limes are almost IMPOSSIBLE to juice, and apparently can also be hard to find in areas without a lot of Latino supermarkets. I recommend the bottled version. (I use a brand called Nellie and Joe's, which is wonderful.) You can find it with the alcoholic drink mixers at your grocery store (like where they keep Pina colada mix). You could also probably use regular limes, but that might take something away from the whole thing.

You could also probably omit the graham cracker crust part, although I really think that that added something extra to it.


Here is the crepe recipe.


Ingredients

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST (optional)

8 graham cracker squares
3/8 cup sugar (85 g.)
3 T. butter, melted (45 g.)

1. Crush the graham crackers by placing them in a ziploc bag and rolling over until in crumbs

2. Stir with sugar

3. Add butter and mix until consitently moistened; press into the bottom of a an oven safe dish (pie pan, casserole dish, whatever you have, preferably shallow like a pie dish). You don't have to line the bottom like you would a real crust, since this is going to be mixed in with the key lime mixture. Just sort of press in into the bottom, and don't worry about holes.


KEY LIME MIXTURE

Zest of 1 lime or 3 key limes
1/2 cup key lime juice (120 ml)
1 cup sour cream (225 g.)
1 12. can evaporated milk (350 ml)
3 oz. cream cheese (75 g.)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar** (115 g.)

**taste test to suit your liking, preferably before you add the eggs.

Here are the oven directions, but you could probably just cook this on low over a stovetop and crush some graham crackers into it. I didn't try it, but it sounds easier.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 (175 C)

1. Whisk it all together for about 3 minutes, until smooth and slightly fluffy

2. Pour mixture over graham cracker mix and cook for about 30 minutes (it will never really gel like key lime pie does; just use your best judgment.

3. Stir together so the graham crackers are mixed in and allow to cool.


Putting it altogether

You'll need: hulled strawberries cut into bit-size pieces, crepes, confectioner's sugar, and the key lime mixture.

Take the crepe out of the pan, place strawberries down the middle of the crepe, spoon on the key lime mixture, then fold your crepe closed over the strawberries like you would a letter going into an envelope. Top generously with confectioner's sugar, and serve!

Gozleme

These are like Turkish crepes, but a little more savory than sweet. Not for those intolerant of lactose :) If you have a Turkish store in your neighborhood, you can buy the really thin dough from them. Otherwise, you'll need to make it yourself (sort of a pain, but at least you won't need to workout your shoulders at the gym that day).


Dough Ingredients

1 cup flour (more if needed) (125 g.)
1/3 yeast packet
A little less than 1/2 cup water, room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar

Dough Directions

1. Mix flour and salt in one bowl and yeast, sugar, and water in another.

2. Add water mixture to flour mixture while stirring until a dough forms (add more water if needed)

3. When it can stick together into a dough, place on a floured counter and knead for approximately 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth

4. Put dough back in bowl and cover with a damp paper towel/washcloth for at least 15 minutes

5. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces; let sit for at least 20 minutes

6. Roll them out as thin as you can (more flour will likely come in handy at this point). Turks get it paper thin. How? I don't know. My dough is always a little lumpy.


Filling Ingredients

1 part feta cheese
1 part chopped fresh parsley
1 part ricotta cheese
Ground pepper to taste (I like loads!)

(1 cup each is a good guideline)


Filling Directions

1. Mix together. There, wasn't that easy?


Actual Gozleme Directions

Fill half of rolled out dough with the filling and pinch closed; cook in frying pan with olive oil or butter (depending on taste) until browned. Serve immediately.