Strawberry and banana Crepe

I hope everyone is up for some dessert to cool down this summer heat, because I have a great treat that will satisfy the craving that you are having right now!

Crepe is one of a very versatile dish that you can't go wrong with either as a dessert or as a savory gourmet meal. The batter is quite simple to prepare and can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days. So you can either make a head to save time or store the left-over batter for later indulgence.

My boys love this particular dessert which is simply filled with some fresh strawberry, banana, and a couple scoops of vanilla ice-cream. Dust some confectioner sugar and a few dollops of whipped cream, it is divine! If you have other fillings in mind such as seasonal fresh fruits, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce, Nutella, fruit preserves, by all mean, use them. Be creative! The sky is the limit.

And if you are not up for dessert, but rather hungry for a real gourmet meal? Not a problem at all. Instead of sweet fillings, just sprinkle some cheddar cheese (or any kinds that your taste is calling for), add some cooked, diced chicken and any vegetables that your like (such as saute mushroom, onion, or spinach...) and voila... a mouth-watering savory crepe is calling your name!

My husband actually adores the plain, simple cheese crepe where only the crepe batter and cheddar cheese involve in the business. I tried it and he was right, it is quite good for such a simple filling.  A small touch of sweetness from the crepe and a whisk of creamy, nutty flavor from the cheese blend perfectly together creating an addicting meal on its own.

Recipe was adapted from French crepes by Pham fatale

(I made some small adjustments to suit our taste buds)

Ingredients: (make 8 servings)

1. 3 tbsp of unsalted butter, diced, and extra for greasing the pan

2. 3.5 cups of whole milk  (I used 2% to cut back some fat)

3. 2 cups of all-purpose flour

4. 1/8 tsp salt

5. 2 small eggs

6. 2.5-3 tbsp sugar

7. 1 tsp vanilla extract

8. 1/4 cup of orange juice (optional)

9. 1 tsp of freshly grated lemon zest and orange zest (optional)

Directions:

In a deep saucepan, melt the butter in 3.5 cups of milk over very low heat. Remove from the heat as soon as the butter is melted. Let the milk cool completely.

Whisk the egg with the sugar until it turns into a pale, yellow foam. Takes about 6 minutes, add the vanilla extract.

Combine the flour and salt in a bow. Sift the dry ingredients. Pour in egg mixture, orange juice, lemon and orange zests (if use) and butter/milk mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth. DO NOT over-mix.

Let the batter rest for at least 2-3 hrs. Thin the crepe batter with extra milk if needed.

Place your crepe pan over medium heat. Grease with butter, and pour in 1/2 cup of batter in the center of the pain. Lift the pan to tilt and rotate it until the batter is evenly spread out and forms a nice thin round disk. Put it back on the stove and it should start bubbling after a few seconds. 

The crepe batter should cook for about 1 minute before it is time to flip. When the edges look dry and start separating from the pain, take a long flat spatula and lift around the edge. Flip the crepe and cook for another 30 seconds.

Garnish with fresh strawberries, banana, vanilla ice-cream and whipped cream. Dust with some powdered sugar. Enjoy!