Crepes are an emblem of French gastronomy, eaten all year round, whether for breakfast, as a sweet snack, or even as a savory version for a complete meal. They are particularly associated with Candlemas, a religious festival celebrated every February 2.
Crepes have become popular all over the world thanks to their light, fluffy texture.
Fluffy Crêpes Pierre Hermé
I often make crêpes and, like everyone else, we love them. We love them for their softness and also for the immense choice we have to serve and enjoy them.
Garnished with caramelized apples or pears and served with a good vanilla custard they make a quick and easy dessert that everyone will appreciate.
Even if crepe batter is a simple grandmother’s recipe that everyone knows how to make, I’ve tested a number of Chefs’ recipes to see the difference. I have already posted the Paul Bocuse recipe to which I’ve added my own touch for even lighter crêpes.
The crêpe recipe that stands out from the rest is that of chef Pierre Hermé. Its recipe produces crepes that are soft, light and delicate on the palate. I’ve adopted it, and I don’t intend to change it. However, I’ll be sharing other recipes with you so that you can try them out and judge for yourselves.
Once you’ve found your recipe (this one for me), you can garnish them with fruit, chocolate or jam, or stuff them with delicious savoury toppings. Crepes can also be flambéed, like Crepes Suzette, or baked in the oven with a delicious béchamel sauce.
Preparation steps :
Table of Contents
| NB: Find the complete recipe with detailed ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the end of the article, which you can print out. Below are the instructions, which you can also view in images. |
Ingredients crepes pierre Hermé
The easiest way is to pour everything into a blender and blend it, as I do with moroccan baghrir. However, you will have to wash the blender as well.
You can also use an immersion blender in the mixing bowl. But with my method, you can do it all by hand with a simple whisk.
1. Mix the dry ingredients, flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. In a measuring jug, mix the eggs with the milk, water, and the seeds from the split vanilla bean.
3. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in little by little half the milk + egg while mixing with the whisk, swirling in the center. The flour on the sides will gradually fall to the center. Always mix in the middle.
4. When all the flour is incorporated and the batter is smooth and homogeneous, without lumps, add the remaining milk and mix.
5. Finally, add the warm but not hot butter and mix well. Then add the rum, Grand Marnier or orange blossom water. It’s optional since the vanilla already provides enough flavor.
6. If you still have lumps, you can strain the batter through a fine sieve or blend it with an immersion blender.
7. Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth or tea towel and leave the batter to rest for 2 hours, as recommended by the chef. I left it on for just an hour, as I usually do, and got excellent results. If you let the batter rest, you get fluffy crepes.
Cooking crepes
1. After the resting time, depending on the flour used, the batter may thicken a little more than normal. Add a little water to liquefy it slightly. The texture of the batter should remain smooth and creamy.
I made this recipe with different flour, and didn’t have to add any water. The batter remained perfect.
2. Heat non-stick frying pan over medium heat and grease with a little butter using a silicone brush. You don’t need to grease the pan, as the crepes come off easily, but greasing the pan gives the crepes a nice golden color.
Re-grease the pan every 3 crepes, but you don’t have to.
3. Mix the batter and use a ladle to measure the amount of batter to pour into the pan.
4. Pour the batter into the skillet, tilting it to spread it evenly in a thin layer. If the surface of the pan is not completely covered, add a little more batter.
5. Turn the crepe over as soon as bubbles have formed on the surface and the edges begin to come away. Check that the underside is golden before turning (about 2 minutes).
6. If you’re comfortable with this movement, flip the crepe or use a spatula. Preferably use a silicone spatula to avoid scratching the pan.
7. Cook the other side until golden brown, then remove and place on a plate. Cover with aluminum foil or a tea towel to keep warm.
8. Finish baking the batter in the same way. As they cook, stack the crepes to preserve their softness.
Best Fluffy Crepes Recipe by Pierre Hermé
Matériel :
Ingredients :
- 1/2 liter (17 fl oz)whole milk
- 200 g (7 oz) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 3 g fine salt 1 teaspoon
- 20 g (0.7 oz)butter
- 1 vanilla bean
- 60 ml (2 fl oz) water preferably mineral
- 50 g (1.8 oz)granulated sugar added by me; Pierre Hermé's recipe does not include it. You can omit it or adjust the amount
- 30 ml (1 fl oz) 2 tablespoons rum or Grand Marnier (water for me; you can use orange flower water)
Instructions :
- Don't miss the step-by-step images and all my answers to the questions you might have in the article.
- You can also use an immersion blender in the mixing bowl. But with my method, you can do it all by hand with a simple whisk.
- Mix the dry ingredients, flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
- In a measuring jug, mix the eggs with the milk, water, and the seeds from the split vanilla bean.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in little by little half the milk + egg while mixing with the whisk, swirling in the center. The flour on the sides will gradually fall to the center. Always mix in the middle.
- When all the flour is incorporated and the batter is smooth and homogeneous, without lumps, add the remaining milk and mix.
- Finally, add the warm but not hot butter and mix well. Then add the rum, Grand Marnier or orange blossom water. It's optional since the vanilla already provides enough flavor.
- If you still have lumps, you can strain the batter through a fine sieve or blend it with an immersion blender.
- Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth or tea towel and leave the batter to rest for 2 hours, as recommended by the chef. I left it on for just an hour, as I usually do, and got excellent results. If you let the batter rest, you get fluffy crepes.
Cooking crepes
- After the resting time, depending on the flour used, the batter may thicken a little more than normal. Add a little water to liquefy it slightly. The texture of the batter should remain smooth and creamy.
- I made this recipe with different flour, and didn't have to add any water. The batter remained perfect.
- Heat non-stick frying pan over medium heat and grease with a little butter using a silicone brush. You don't need to grease the pan, as the crepes come off easily, but greasing the pan gives the crepes a nice golden color.
- Re-grease the pan every 3 crepes, but you don't have to.
- Mix the batter and use a ladle to measure the amount of batter to pour into the pan.
- Pour the batter into the skillet, tilting it to spread it evenly in a thin layer. If the surface of the pan is not completely covered, add a little more batter.
- Turn the crepe over as soon as bubbles have formed on the surface and the edges begin to come away. Check that the underside is golden before turning (about 2 minutes).
- If you're comfortable with this movement, flip the crepe or use a spatula. Preferably use a silicone spatula to avoid scratching the pan.
- Cook the other side until golden brown, then remove and place on a plate. Cover with aluminum foil or a tea towel to keep warm.
- Finish baking the batter in the same way. As they cook, stack the crepes to preserve their softness.
FAQ: frequently asked questions
Can I make the crepe batter the day before?
Yes, that’s right. Cover and store the bowl in the fridge until the next morning. Remove the batter from the refrigerator one hour before use. If it has thickened, add a little water to give it the right texture.
How to store them ?
crepe batter can be made very quickly, and the crepe are gone so quickly that there’s never enough to keep them. However, for one reason or another, you may need to prepare a large quantity. So you’re wondering how to store them?
You can stack the quantity you want in several parts and lay them flat in a ziploc freezer bag. Another option is to interleave each crepe with a sheet of parchment paper before storing them in the Ziploc. Then put them in the freezer until you need them again. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
How to reheat crêpes?
Take them out of the freezer for 1 hour and let them thaw at room temperature. Then reheat them either in a frying pan or in the microwave. This should be done quickly over low heat so as not to dry them out. The best choice is still the microwave.
Can this batter be used for chocolate crepes?
Yes, you can add a small amount of cocoa. Replace 20 g (0.7 oz) of flour with unsweetened cocoa powder.
Can you make gluten-free crepes?
Yes, just replace the flour with cornstarch and add water only if necessary after the resting time. batter made with cornstarch is more fluid, so you won’t necessarily need to add water.
You can also make a mix with chestnut or rice flour. You can mix all 3 or just cornstarch with either flour.
How do I make lactose-free pancakes?
If you’re lactose intolerant, you can replace the milk with plant-based almond, soy or oat milk.
Can these crepes be made without eggs?
As for lactose, you can make crepes without eggs. crepes are just as delicious as those made with animal products. If necessary, add a little more milk to make the batter thinner and lighter. Lactose-free and egg-free, you get vegan crepes.
How to make savoury crêpes?
This Pierre Hermé recipe is basically a savoury, sugar-free crepes batter. So, simply remove the sugar and fill them with whatever fillings you like. Top with a good béchamel sauce and fill with chicken, tuna or meat to taste. They can also be baked au gratin.
How to make colorful crêpes?
You may want to make a rainbow-style crepe cake, or just offer colorful rainbow swirl crepes. It’s very simple: once the batter is ready, divide it into parts, add gel coloring and mix. The amount of colorant depends on the intensity of the color you want to achieve.
How to serve crêpes
The crepes are delicious and so soft you can eat them plain. You can roll them in a little sugar or garnish them with a good jam or spread.
For even more delicious treats, you can make crepe rolls with chocolate and praline or drizzle them with Nutella, and fill them with banana slices.You have a wide choice of options. Be creative and follow your sweet tooth.
You can also serve them with a scoop of ice cream.
How do I flavour my crepes with lemon or orange?
It’s very simple: zest an orange or lemon, preferably organic, and mix the zest with the powdered sugar before blending with the flour.
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your comments.
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