{"id":987,"date":"2011-09-08T19:58:34","date_gmt":"2011-09-09T01:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/realfoodchronicles.maoomba.com\/?p=987"},"modified":"2016-04-23T19:50:05","modified_gmt":"2016-04-24T01:50:05","slug":"cornstarch-crepes-with-fresh-fruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/cornstarch-crepes-with-fresh-fruit\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornstarch crepes with fresh fruit"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to Lou Seibert Pappas<\/a>, an authority on the subject, dessert crepes were originally made from wheat flour, and savory crepes, interestingly, were made with buckwheat \u2013 a gluten-free seed that is milled into flour.\u00a0 Crepes were also cooked on good old cast iron pans, instead of the fancy, electric crepe cooking appliances available today.<\/p>\n

On a side note, I happened to see two 70s-era crepe makers at a local thrift store last week and resisted my temptation to buy one.<\/p>\n

\"Shirley-Jones-Sunbean-msieur-crepe-1976\"<\/p>\n

But I digress.\u00a0 Dessert crepes can easily be made with cornstarch.\u00a0 Starch isn\u2019t the healthiest thing in the world, but I can guarantee you that it results in fluffier, lighter crepes than wheat flour ever will.<\/p>\n

The recipe I use was originally shared by Tom Vanderbeek, Executive\u00a0Chef of Eiffel Tower Catering<\/a>. I have modified it make it nondairy.\u00a0 The recipe is easy and delicious, but does take a little patience \u2013 unfortunately, to get the best texture, you need to wait half an hour before cooking the crepes.\u00a0 For people who plan to make the batter before dinner, I\u2019m sure this isn\u2019t an issue.\u00a0 Usually, though, I am inspired to make them when I crave them, making the wait too long.<\/p>\n

A few notes on making amazing crepes<\/h3>\n

Pans<\/strong> \u2013 I use a cast iron griddle, but have also had success with stainless steel and non-stick pans.\u00a0 It is up to you.\u00a0 You can even use a crepe maker if you are lucky enough to have one.<\/p>\n

Pre-heating<\/strong> \u2013 Make sure your pan is hot before adding butter (nondairy alternative, or dairy if you eat it) to it.\u00a0 To do this, turn your stove to between medium\/medium-high heat and allow the pan to heat up for a couple of minutes before you add the butter.\u00a0 Add only a little bit of butter, but coat the pan completely.\u00a0 The butter should almost smoke, but not quite \u2013 add your batter immediately.<\/p>\n

NOTE:\u00a0 Pre-heating your pan does a couple of things: allows the heat to spread evenly throughout the cooking surface, keeps your fats (butter, oil, etc.) from degrading \u2013 basically you are ready to cook the moment the fats is added to the pan, and it helps keep moisture in the foods you cook.\u00a0 Most importantly, it changes the molecular structure of the cooking surface in a way that prevents food from sticking to it.\u00a0 Heat matters whether you are cooking pancakes, sauteing vegetables, or pan-frying meat.<\/p>\n

Nondairy ingredients<\/strong> \u2013 I use Earth Balance vegan buttery spread in place of butter and soy milk instead of regular milk.\u00a0 You can use other nondairy milks, but soy seems to turn out crepes with the best texture and flavor.<\/p>\n

Speed<\/strong> \u2013 Pouring and spreading the batter quickly will give you the most even results.\u00a0 There are two ways to spread the batter \u2013 lifting and rotating the pan in a circular motion immediately upon pouring, or using a thin metal spatula like you would use to frost a cake to spread the batter while the pan remains on the stove.<\/p>\n

Waiting<\/strong> \u2013 As I mentioned before, by letting the crepe batter rest for half an hour, you wind up with a smoother texture.\u00a0 This is mostly because it gives the corn starch a chance to absorb the liquid completely, making the batter thicker.<\/p>\n

Storing the batter<\/strong> \u2013 You can refrigerate unused batter for a day or two.\u00a0 If it separates, simply whisk it before using it again.<\/p>\n

Storing the crepes<\/strong> \u2013 Cooked crepes can be stored for up to 3 days.\u00a0 Simply stack them, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.\u00a0 Let them warm to room temperature before eating.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Filling the crepes<\/strong> \u2013 Crepes make a delicious dessert when filled with fresh-sliced strawberries, raspberries, or peaches, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.\u00a0 They are also good with melted GF\/DF chocolate or homemade nutella (like from this recipe in the LA Times<\/a>), or black cherry preserves (especially if you use the lemon zest in the recipe).<\/p>\n