The first time that I made crepes was last summer in Italy. I certainly didn’t think when I made that first crepe in class that I would become so familiar with them in the next 6 months. And not just familiar, I’ve fallen for them.

I make crepes every week at work. I have the creative freedom to write crepe specials every weekend. It’s awesome.

Most of the time, I make crepes with savory fillings. I just generally prefer savory to sweet in the mornings. So, I fill them with spinach, turkey, carmelized onions and herbed goat cheese. Or maybe ham and gruyere with a fried egg on top. Sometimes, I even treat them like a tortilla and fill them with cheddar, fajita style peppers and onions, and guacamole, topped with sour cream and salsa. 

Is your mouth watering yet?

For me, sweet crepes are all about dessert. They are the perfect light way to finish your dinner. 

Years ago, when I was still in college, I made my first curd. It was for a girly brunch thing and I made a lime curd with strawberries. I remember it didn’t turn out very well, but not to worry, I’ve gotten better at it.

Generally speaking, a fruit curd is a combination of eggs, sugar, and some type of fruit that is simmered together to make a thick, intensely flavored fruit spread. Lemon curd is easy to make and can be used in a variety of ways. Use it to fill your crepe, top a waffle, spread on toast, drizzle on ice cream. You get the idea. Think of it as a fruity substitution for Nutella.

Now, time to break down the important points here. Crepes are basically delicious, thin pancakes that you can fill with whatever floats your boat. Lemon Curd is a delicious, tangy filling/spread/topping that you will enjoy. When you combine these two things and top it with strawberries and whipped cream, you’ve got the best thing you’ve put in your mouth in awhile. This is perfect for dessert, brunch, or even breakfast if you’ve got that sweet tooth.

Lemon Curd

From the Barefoot Contessa- Food Network

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar. If you don’t have a food processor, just chop the zest finely and mix with the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Crepes

Altered From Alton Brown- Food Network

Here are a few tricks to making great crepes. The most important is this: you need to use a good nonstick pan. If your crepes are sticking, you’ll have a terrible time. Next, make sure your pan is hot when you start. It will help them not stick. Lastly, pour the batter in the pan and pick the pan up to roll around the batter until it is in a thin layer all over the bottom of the pan. You don’t need a fancy crepe batter spreader or specific crepe pan. Just don’t make them too thick. Have fun!

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• Butter, for coating the pan

In a bowl, mix all ingredients with a whisk.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly in a thin layer. Cook until small bubbles appear and then flip. Cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan and lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days.

For this dessert:

Cook the crepes.

Make the Lemon curd.

Fill crepes with curd and top with whipped cream and strawberries.

Yum!

Enjoy!
Photographs by Jessica Yager.