I woke up the other day and wondered what I could make with next to nothing in the house. Am I the only one who does that? I get working and doing chores and then I think, “Maybe John will go to the store.” He thinks the same thing and then there are no eggs or cereal or anything to feed the father-in-law who loves a big breakfast.
After wandering around the kitchen and pantry and standing in front of the open refrigerator, I decided that French crepes filled with stewed apples and drizzled with maple syrup would please he who would eat a huge breakfast every.single.day. Before Rob arrived, we rarely ate breakfast. Maybe a piece of toast or a cup of tea or coffee but a big breakfast? Nah, only when we went out. We work in converted bedrooms upstairs so oftentimes we’d just go from the bedroom to the office.
Not any more.
When I told Rob I was making crepes he said, “Oh, REAL pancakes?” Remember, he spent a year in Paris studying holograms while on sabbatical when John was 19 or 20 so French anything makes him happy. Now if someone could show me how to make crepes that are perfectly round I’d be much appreciative. I use my Breville crepe maker which I LOVE but I can’t swirl it – only use that little stick thingo and as you can see below, as roundness goes, I’m a fail.
I have made these for dessert in years past and instead of maple syrup I drizzled caramel or toffee sauce over them and tucked some vanilla ice cream beside them. Whie it was a really easy breakfast, these would make a lovely dessert too.
The verdict? “Maureen, these are quite nice, quite nice indeed. Maybe you could fill them with mangoes next time.” Rob LOVES mangoes and we have some every morning for breakfast and will do until Christmas when this season’s crop will expire. So, how does one stew a mango?
- 30g butter
- pinch salt
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 150g plain flour, sifted
- 4 apples peeled, cored and sliced into good-sized slices
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Warm butter, salt and milk until butter has melted. Lightly whisk eggs and add to warm liquid.
- Put flour into a basin and make a well. Tip in liquid and whisk until smooth.
- Strain into a container and chill for up to 2 hours. (okay I sat mine on the counter for 30 minutes - just fine). The consistency should be like thin cream. If not, thin with more milk.
- Heat a frying pan or crepe maker. Wipe pan with a piece of buttered paper for the first pancake. Lift pan from heat, then ladle in about one-quarter of a cup of batter and tilt and swirl the pan to to spread it to the edges. Set the pan back on the heat.
- After 1 minute, lift the thin outer edge of pancake with a fine spatula and flip the pancake using your fingers or spatula. When cooked, transfer to a plate in a low oven to keep warm. (I put baking paper between mine)
- Repeat until the batter is used up.
- Makes 8-10 large crepes
- In a saucepan place the apples and water and cook on low until the apples are nearly soft.
- Add sugar and cinnamon and cook til soft.
- Place one crepe on a plate and put a spoonful of apple mixture on one side and roll up.
- Drizzle with maple syrup to serve.
G’day and YUM, Maureen, true!
I think we all go through…what’s in the house and pantry that I can cook or bake with too!
I have difficulty with “that swirl”….enjoyed your photos today!
Cheers! Joanne
At least I’m not the only one. I’m hoping someone who has one of these crepe makers will tell me that it’s really easy and here’s how to do it. It must be some wrist action that I’m missing.
What a sweetie you are Maureen! I think that fresh mango would be great. Stewed mango? Hmmm. I’m not sure about that 😛
Me either that’s why I haven’t used mango but I don’t see why must chopping up the mango and putting it in the crepes wouldn’t be good and then make a puree of mango for the top and maybe some nuts for crunch. Good idea, Lorraine. LOL
Dear Maureen,
The men in your home are very lucky with this kind of cooking. Mysaucepan is the same as Rob – anything French would make her happy.
Sometimes when I’ve made something incredibly French – like something my grandmother used to make for me, I come in doing the sashay thing and wearing a beret. It gets his attention. He has never been spoiled in his life and I think at nearly 93 it’s time. 🙂
These look lovely, so fresh. I’m not sure I could get my crepes thin enough, then I’d start worrying about roundness. Round or not I bet these were very tasty. GG
Once they were rolled up around the apples you couldn’t tell they weren’t round. win 🙂
OMG, this is beautiful. If you can come up with this staring into your pantry and refrigerator you are my hero. Love it!
I was desperate, Velva, he was hungry! 🙂 (he’s always hungry)
Oh, mangoes are delicious when cooked, flambee’ mangoes are very popular in Brazil… If you don’t mind me sharing a link from my site, here is how we do it, you could use exactly that as a filling for your concoction..
http://bewitchingkitchen.com/2010/05/28/ice-cream-melts-for-mango/
Oh Sally, you can add a link anytime especially if it’s as fantastic as this sounds. Rob will love you to bits when I show him. He’s never been to Brazil but we’ll do it culinarily. 🙂
Oh, that was sweet! thank you! And please tell Rob I am a huge fan of him!
Is it because he’s a physicist who met Einstein or just because he’s still cute at nearly 93? 🙂
Love crepes! Look fantastic!
I prefer them for dessert or as a snack like my grandmother used to make for us. Rob likes them for breakfast. 🙂
Wow, makes me hungry! I love crepes, apples are available for picking at our local orchards. 🙂
You should make this then, Michael! Thanks so much for visiting again. 🙂
I did print your recipe and plan on trying it soon.
Between us I think we could eat all the Red Velvet cake!! The cream cheese icing is the best.
Dear Maureen, One of my favorite meals! I don’t have a crepe maker, though I use a small cast iron pan and it does the job.
The mango’s will be swell too.
Blessings dear and I hope you are feeling good. Catherine xo
I had one when I was in the states but I didn’t bring anything heavy with me. It’s much better to swirl with.
I usually make my crepes in a 7- or 8-inch nonstick skillet, which takes care of the roundness problem. Plus, since the sides slope, it’s pretty each to flip them in the pan to cook the other side. (That is, without having to use a spatula to help flip them.) We’re not big breakfast eaters either. Usually some caffeine and fruit, and maybe a hard-boiled egg (I always make a bunch of those at once so usually some are in the refrigerator). Big breakfasts are for dinner in our house, and these crepes would be wonderful! Good job with them – and you’ve reminded me it’s been way too long since I’ve made crepes. Thanks.
This crepe maker is brilliant. I’ve never had to use oil on it.. the crepes cook beautifully. I just can’t get them round. I figure I will sacrifice that for perfect crepes of the unround sort.
Yeah… I’ve never mastered that stick thing either. When you see them swirl the batter in those little kiosks and vans, they make it look sooooo simple. Still n all, you have produced a breakfast fit for a king (or a Rob). Love the ‘pouring’ photo in particular.
That pouring photo nearly ended up with an entire bottle of pure maple syrup ending up on my plate 🙂 My assistant needs more training.
The men in your life are very lucky Maureen…. and with breakfasts like this delicious offering, I bet they know it (and appreciate you) too xoxo
Oh there are days I feel like, “I’m the one with boobs so I’m expected to do all the work around here.” Most days aren’t like that. 🙂
Maureen, in my eyes you are a pro in making crepes, I wouldn’t even attempt to get them round and would be perfectly happy if they looked half as nice. Like Rob, I am a big fan of mangoes, too, so I look forward to seeing your updates on the mango crepes whether you decide to stew them or keep them fresh.
I think stewed mangoes sound gross 🙂 Stephanie suggested a quick grill with a bit of brown sugar and I’m going to try that 🙂
Lovely crepes (sorry, I just can’t call them pancakes with a straight face) indeed and stewed fruit are a lovely filling. I was going to use my leftover apple pie filling to fill crepes myself last week but then got lazy and just put the warmed cooked apples over vanilla ice cream and drizzled butterscotch sauce over the whole thing. It was delicious but I’ll keep the idea in mind for the next time I make a batch of crepes.
I make my crepes in a heavy cast iron frying pan and even though it isn’t easy to swirl the pan one handed properly while pouring with the other, the lip on the edge of the pan helps with ensuring that you DO get a round crepe. Sometimes, though, I have to add an additional tsp or so of batter to get good coverage. I’ve seen those flat round griddles/crepe makers with the little batter spreader and spatula and can’t picture myself having the manual dexterity to manage it.
Also, a fine line between batter of the correct consistency and the heat setting on the range so you can get good coverage before the batter starts cooking. I’m frugal enough that I don’t pitch that first crepe (the TESTER) even if it’s often a bit too thick and misshapen. That’s the cook’s treat. 🙂
Has Rob put on any weight in the time he’s been with you? I’m sure I would have. These look so lovely and what a yummy start to the day. My mother had a French crepe pan that was cast iron with a wooden red-painted handle. It was easy to make the crepes round because the mixture went right to the edges of the crepe pan. She got rid of it and I was really cross – I would have loved it – so much better than the pans available these days xx
When he went to Victoria last month he visited his old doctor and he’s gained 4 kilos. lol The doctor was thrilled that he was eating so well.
Looks fantastic. Perfect crepes. Great filing too.
The ancient one loved it.
You are so sweet to make Rob such a lovely breakfast. I’m sure he enjoyed the crepes.
Karen, he’s the sweetest nearly 90-year old I’ve ever known. He appreciates everything anyone does for him and is a joy to have around. (he’s still a lot of work though 🙂 )
The crepes look great!
Mango grilled with a little brown sugar and a spritz of lime is very good. I grilled peaches this morning for my breakfast; delicious!
Aww, Stephanie, that sounds so good!
Lucky Rob! It’s all I can do to put the kettle on first thing in the morning. I love the maple syrup touch – I’d eat anything with maple syrup on it!
That’s all we used to do too, Amanda. Now we’re slowly getting used to sitting down together for a nice breakfast. We don’t do heaps for lunch once I realised how much Rob had gained. LOL
Darling, they look divine! And um…can I confess, I’ve never woken with nothing in the house to cook with. I like to be prepared for every contingency! 😀
I used to be like that and I will be one day soon. 🙂
Maureen,
What a sweet , sweet spirit you have. Rob is blessed to have you in his life. The crepes look outstanding.
Believe me Maureen, if you saw my efforts at crepes, you would call yours a huge success! I am very impressed – they look beautiful. I am absolutely hopeless at flipping things in pans and crepes really require skill in that department, so I have long since accepted that my best efforts will only extend to slightly misshapen thicker pancakes 😛
These crepes look great. It has been too long since I’ve pulled out my crepe maker!
These crepes look heavenly, I love that maple drizzle!
I haven’t made crepes in a while. It is late at night and I am dreaming of making them the moment I wake up. Love this and the how it looks.
You are so sweet my friend, these would break my fast quite well 😀
The maple syrup and apples is the best combination on pancakes or crepes!
Cheers
CCU
Oh these look devine! I’ve always been too scared to try crepes but I think I will have to give these a go.
I’ve never had an apple filling in crepes. Great idea!
ooooh we adore crepes! Yours are indeed “very nice”, perfect, thin, perfectly colored. Yeah, I know my crepes and don’t get them often enough! I love the apple filling. I must try your crepe recipe. Beautiful! Dinner for us!
I agree with Rob. These are REAL pancakes. I never eat the others. This recipe sounds lovely although it still seems like you need patience to get the texture just right.
Maureen: What a beauty!!!! I’d be quite happy to have these breakfast crepes as my first meal of the day, or for dessert drizzled with the caramel or toffee sauce plus ice cream.
Oh now you’re making me hungry again, Denise!
on every blog i’ve been to today there has been a comment from you maureen, so i figured i better come to the source 😉
who cares if you can’t do round? these would be welcome in my kitchen any brekkie !
i’m not sure what happened to my comment … i apologiseif this appears twice! you’ve been a commenter at every blog i’ve read this mornign, so i thought it time to come directly to you!
and it doesnlt matter that you don’t do round when your pancakes look this yum. you can come to brekkie at my place any day!
LOL Obviously we frequent the same places! Lovely to see you and come over for breakfast anytime!
Oh wow – I could have had 2 or 3 or 12 of these this morning!
Thee look fabulous!
I only had one but now that you mention it, with a bit of running I could have had 2 🙂
These are some beautiful looking crepes you have here, sounds delicious with those apples!
It was a great breakfast!
I’d be pretty stoked with this crepes Maureen!
I remember one year were going away overseas for a couple of months so the weeks leading up to it we weren’t buying anything new to try and use up whatever we had in the fridge and freezer. Anyhoo, the day before I was so hungry I ended up making myself a sandwich. The filling? Wholegrain mustard. that’s all that was left!
You know what? I can see you eating a mustard sandwich and laughing all the way through it.
These look absolutely fabulous! I love the maple syrup topping 🙂
Thanks, Christine 🙂
I love how your “there’s nothing in the house what shall I make for brekkie” turns into apple crepes. Mine turns into a cup of black coffee and a handful of breakfast cereal flakes (dry). LOL I’m coming to your house for breakfast!
Promise??? I’ll start cleaning.
I love crepes. Last time I was in Paris (manay years ago), ate one every day from the street vendors. Apple filled crepes for breakfast, sounds like a perfect breakfast to me.
Oh I know. I can’t walk past one without leaning over to John and saying, “Hungry?” …and he says, “Another crepe???”
There’s something inherently fancy and sophisticated about crepes. More so than say, pancakes. These look lovely! I think I will make them Christmas morning!
I know but I’ll admit that pancakes, crepes or waffles all hit my hot button for breakfast.
I’ve never attempted crepes, Maureen, but I must admit that yours here look incredible. Love the flavors and you may have convinced me to give crepes a try.
If you make the dough ahead of time, even overnight, and swirl the pan to keep them thin, they’re incredibly easy to make. You should try. I hope all your construction is over!
Apples crepes make a fabulous breakfast and I love your stewed apples! This will make a perfect breakfast for in the morning! Thanks Maureen!!!
I love swapping ideas with you 🙂
I have never tried apple crepes… but now that yo have shown me… it’s a must. 🙂
You should try them 🙂
I love your recipe! that crepes are great!i want to try them:)
Hello Angelica! Lovely to meet you. Thanks so much for visiting. Happy New Year!