Crepe Day

France is all about food and eating, and every tradition gives the Frenchmen an opportunity to bake, cook and eat! If January is the King Cake month, the month of February starts with Crepe Day or Chandeleur (Candlemas), which recalls the Presentation of Baby Jesus to the Temple. Why Crepes? The round-shape and golden color of the crepes used to be the symbol of the Sun, and of the return of spring after a long, cold winter... Not only do the French eat a lot of crepes on Chandeleur day, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them: if the cook can flip a crepe while holding a gold coin in the other hand, his family will enjoy prosperity for the rest of the year! How about trying it with our French recipe?

Sweet Crepes Recipe

Makes about 20 crepes.

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 cup lukewarm water

- 1/2 cup milk

- 2 eggs

- 2 tsp melted butter

- 1 1/2 tsp sugar

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl or into a food processor, and, if possible, leave the batter to stand for at least 10 minutes before using it.
Then heat a crepe pan or nonstick sauté pan over medium heat until a few drops of water sizzle when sprinkled on the pan. With a paper towel, spread a little butter on the pan, being sure to wipe most of it off.
When the pan is warm, pour about 1/4 cup of batter into it, and spread it accross the bottom by tilting immediately the pan slowly in all directions.
When the edges start turning golden and peeling away from the pan, gently lift up the edge nearest to you using a spatula and flip the crepe over in the pan. The second side should cook much more quickly - less than one minute. Add more butter when needed with a paper towel.
Serve crepes sprinkled with sugar, or enjoy them spreaded with jam, honey, Nutella, melted chocolate, chestnut spread or ice cream... There are a thousand ways to fill sweet crepes, all easy to do and delicious. Bon Appetit!