Bonjour! It’s officially summertime for us and since we can’t really travel around the world currently due to COVID-19, we thought it would be fun to “travel” around with our boys at home.
Every week, we’re going to pick a country to “visit” and learn where each one is located on the globe, a few fun facts, and we’ll cook a traditional dish from each location. Try the recipe below and don’t forget to download your free Fact Sheet and Menu printables to share over brunch! Add a flower and a crisp white tablecloth and you’ll feel like you’re sitting at a cafe in Paris!
In the free printables you’ll find:
- several fun facts about France you probably didn’t know!
- a menu with ideas for easy crepe fillings, drinks for all ages, and a couple of French brunch cocktails.
Location: France
My husband and I love France (Paris in particular) so we decided our first “trip” would be there. There are so many delicious traditional dishes so it was a tough choice to land on one recipe, but we decided to make crepes since this seemed like a great overall crowd pleaser for our family. We made both savory and sweet versions (take a wild guess as to which the kids preferred) and we let the boys build their own.
“The first crepe is for the dog!”
This is what they say, and I’ve found it to be true!
This was my first time making crepes and while the recipe is very easy, it takes a couple of tries to get the technique down. The first crepe is always a test to make sure the temperature of the pan isn’t too hot and to check the batter consistency.
If the pan is too hot: Your crepe will brown too quickly and stick to the pan. The first crepe (and sometimes 2nd) is a practice run.
If batter doesn’t cover bottom of pan easily: Add a bit of water to the mix. It is common for the batter to thicken especially after the batter has chilled for a while. It should be on the runny side.
I mixed up the batter then set it in the fridge while I prepped the fillings and toppings. For our savory crepe, I purchased ham, fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, green onion, and tomatoes. I purchased ham already cubed to save time, sautéed it and popped it into the warming drawer until time to assemble the crepes.
For our sweet crepes, we bought strawberries, real chocolate sauce from a chocolate shop nearby, and Bruno and I made vanilla whipped cream. If you’ve never made your own whipped cream before, give it a shot! It’s super easy, takes just a few minutes and it tastes sooo good! Let me know in the comments if you’d like a simple recipe for that.
We all loved our ham and cheese crepes, but ya’ll. These strawberry, chocolate, whipped cream crepes stole the show! Oh My Goodness they were delicious!! I wish I had recorded the boys’ reactions when they first tried them. They didn’t even pick up their forks. Ha! I tried to tell them they weren’t burritos but they inhaled them so fast it didn’t even register. I couldn’t even get mad at their lack of good manners because they were so genuine in their happiness.
We will definitely be having these again soon.
Perrier with a splash of oj was really refreshing! We tried to find Orangina, but all the stores were out around here. If you can find it, it’s a popular carbonated beverage in France and very good! It’s less carbonated than American soft drinks, so kids who don’t care for soda might like it more.
If you try making crepes at home, let me know! I’d love to know how this recipe worked for you. Keep in mind the “cooking time” listed below is for each crepe. My family was eating them as quickly as they cooked, but you can also lay parchment paper between each crepe and keep in a warming drawer until they’re all done.
Bon appétit and bon voyage! xo – Hannah
Equipment
- Nonstick crepe pan or regular nonstick pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp melted butter (plus some for greasing pan)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together until just combined and large clumps are gone. Don't overmix or you may end up with chewy crepes.
- Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Melt a bit of butter in a nonstick pan.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into one side of pan, tilting pan around as you pour to allow batter to thinly cover the entire bottom of the pan. Quickly fill any holes with more batter. Depending on size of pan, adjust amount of batter used for each crepe.
- Cook on med-low heat until egdes pull away from the sides of the pan and bottom is golden – about 1-1½ minutes. Flip crepe over and cook for about 30 more seconds.
- Place crepe onto plate and fill with your choice of fillings.
- Roll up or fold into quarters and enjoy!
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