Yahoo!!! It’s about time for Spring. If you live here in Iowa, or anywhere in the midwest, it was a loooonnnnnggggg winter. Thank goodness it’s over! With the longer, warmer days, I tend to shift what I’m creating in the kitchen to lighter dishes. While we anxiously await the availability of fresh, local produce, we are keeping busy making lots of crepes!

These yummy super-thin pancakes are incredibly versatile. Add a touch of sugar to the batter for a dessert crepe, and top it with a schmear of chocolate (we made homemade nutella in class) and a drizzle of berry sauce. Or keep it savory and fill it with eggs, cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

Crepes are relatively easy to make (in the last 2 weeks, I’ve taught 28 kids ages 7-13 to pour, swirl, and flip their own) and you don’t need any special equipment. A non-stick skillet will get the job done! Hopefully you’ll want to give it a try; just follow the recipe below. If at first you don’t succeed, try again!

We love the feedback that we’ve received from the kids who made crepes in class. We received a picture of a boy making crepes, an email from a mom who’s daughter said she loved the class, and several comments from kids that they hope to make their mom crepes for Mothers’ Day!

Crepes
(Recipe makes 8 crepes)

Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for a dessert crepe)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- additional melted butter to coat the pan

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse for about 10-15 seconds to combine. Pour into a large measuring cup and let rest for about an hour so the big bubbles subside. (Fewer big bubbles = less air in the batter = fewer torn crepes.)

• Heat a non-stick pan to medium heat. Brush with melted butter. (Those silicone brushes work really well.)

• Pour ¼ cup batter into the pan and swirl to coat. (This amount of batter works well for a 10 inch pan. If you have a smaller pan, use less batter.)

• Cook for 30 seconds. Use a thin flexible spatula to flip the crepe. Cook for an additional 10 seconds. Remove and let cool. Coat the pan with a bit of butter in-between each crepe. If you have leftover crepes, stack them with pieces of parchment in between and store them in the fridge.