By Carole Morris
I had a wonderful and exhilarating vacation this year with my family. We had a real European vacation…in Paris, London and Scotland. Talk about remarkable sights; I still can’t believe all the stunning structures and ancient historical artifacts that we encountered!
In Paris, one of the sights we had to see was the Eiffel Tower. We were not disappointed! It was beautiful…especially at night when it was all lit up. Even though the Eiffel Tower is one of the most well-known structures in the world, there were some facts about it that I didn’t know. One unknown fact was it originally was built as the entrance arch for the World's Fair in 1889. An additional unknown fact—it was the tallest man made structure in the world for 41 years.
Another lovely sight in Paris is the crêpe, which also tastes really amazing. It is considered the national dish of France—and I applaud their choice. Who would have thought that a very thin, cooked pancake could be so amazing and versatile? The word, crêpe is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled."
This issue I chose one national dish from Paris, to keep my vacation alive! Next issue, (in the fall) I’ll unveil the national dish of London; this will enable me to revitalize my vacation mindset.
Do I have a gorgeous crêpe recipe for you!
Crêpes
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter (melt)
2 eggs
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup flour (mix in last)
Instructions
Using a whisk, mix all of the ingredients together (except for the flour). Next, whisk in the flour, a little bit at a time, until the flour has been mixed in (do not over mix).
Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. Then, whisk the batter once before using.
Using a 6" skillet, melt butter in skillet over medium heat (enough to grease the bottom of the skillet). Ladle approximately 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan. Immediately tip the skillet from side to side so that the batter is spread evenly in the pan.
Cook crêpe approximately 40 seconds before loosening up the edges with a large spatula. If the crêpe lifts easily, then it is ready to be flipped. If it doesn't lift up easily, cook for about 15 or more seconds and try lifting it again. After lifting the crêpe out of the pan, flip it over and cook the other side for about 15 seconds. Remove from pan to cool. Repeat procedure until all batter is used. Makes approximately 8 crêpes.
Honey Raspberry Crêpes
Ingredients
2 C Red Raspberries
1/4 tsp. grated orange peel
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 tbsp. honey (for ricotta cheese)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon melted butter or margarine
Honey (for garnish)
Instructions
Combine ricotta cheese with 4 tbsp. honey, orange peel and cinnamon.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of cheese filling onto each crêpe; fold into fourths (like a napkin). Place into baking dish. Brush butter on the top of filled crepes.
Bake covered, at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.
Garnish top of crêpes with raspberries and drizzle with honey.
As the Parisians would say, “jouir” (Enjoy)!
Strawberry and Cream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 package cream cheese (8 oz. softened)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream (whipped)
6 cups strawberries (sliced)
Instructions
Mix the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and lemon juice together with a mixer until smooth, then stir in the whipped cream with a spoon.
Fill each crêpe with approximately 1/4 cup strawberries and 1/4 cup of the cream cheese filling. Next, roll up the crêpe and put a little of the cream cheese filling on top and a few sliced strawberries (for garnish).
Breakfast Crêpe
Ingredients
8 eggs
½ tsp. salt and pepper
3 tbsp. butter
6 slices ham
Hollandaise Sauce
Instructions
Beat eggs with salt and pepper, then melt butter in pan. Add the eggs and cook until scrambled soft. Place one slice of ham on each crepe and put a spoonful of eggs on top. Roll crêpe (with ham and eggs inside) and top with warm Hollandaise sauce.
Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
2 tbsp. heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c butter
Instructions
Whisk together cream, egg yolks, and lemon juice in small saucepan until blended. Cook, stirring constantly—over very low heat, until mixture bubbles at the outer edges.
STIR IN butter, until butter is melted and until sauce is thickened. REMOVE from heat immediately.
STIR in salt, paprika and pepper.
Carole Morris
Instructional Specialist, Author and Adjunct Professor. She is married to an outstanding, brilliant man and the mother of two grown awe-inspiring children, and grammie to three flawless grandchildren.
This story first appeared in the Ardent
for Life Late Summer 2019 issue.