Why we ate crêpes today…

And how to make them

Today, as you may know, is Candlemas, or in France, Chandeleur, the day when we commemorate Mary’s visit to the temple to be ritually cleansed after Jesus’ birth and was served crêpes with Nutella. Actually, I’m not entirely positive about the second part of that. They may have been served with honey or something, seeing that I don’t think that chocolate had made it to the Holy Land by then.

Regardless of the details, the French celebrate Chandeleur by eating crêpes, sometimes with a glass of hard Normandy cider to accompany them. While it’s easy enough to buy pre-made crêpes at the grocery store normally, and perhaps still easier right now, it’s still nice to make your own, which is why, at 6:30 this morning, I was making crêpes.

Step 1 : Gather your ingredients. You’ll need

• 1 1/2 cups flour (250 g)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk (500 mL)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter
• A pinch of salt
• Your favorite flavoring : I typically use an orange liqueur, but you could also use rum or vanilla or…

Step 2 : Put the flour and salt in a bowl, and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, the flour, and some of the milk.

Step 3 : Mix it all up. Ideally, you’ve added enough milk at the beginning to get something relatively smooth. I was sleepy and added too little, so this is a bit thick and lumpy still.

Step 4 : Add the rest of the milk and your flavoring, and mix it until it’s smooth. (Or as smooth as you’re going to get it. Mine batter is never entirely smooth. I suspect crêpe shops use a blender.)

Step 5 : Brew yourself a cup of coffee, pour yourself a glass of wine, pick up your knitting…Whatever it takes to leave the batter completely alone for at least an hour.

Step 6 : Heat your skillet on the stove. If it’s nonstick, flipping the crêpes will be easier, but it’s not strictly speaking necessary. I’ve found that medium-high heat works the best, but you may need to experiment a bit.

Step 7 : When the skillet is hot, at a tiny bit of oil. Pour in a bit of batter, and tilt the pan so that it covers the bottom. If it’s too little, you can add a bit more. I typically use about 3/4s of a ladle full, but it will depend on the size of your pan and your ladle. If it’s too much, you’d ideal pour the excess back into the bowl. Otherwise, just use a bit less next time.

Step 8 : When the top of the crêpe has uniformly changed from that light color on the right to the darker color on the left, you can try to flip it. Slide the edge of your spatula all the way around the edge, and see if it comes loose. Otherwise, leave it another few seconds.

Step 9 : Flip over the crêpe. It probably won’t need more than 20-30 seconds on the second side.

Step 9a : Did your first crêpe turn into a big lobby mess? That’s OK, mine always do too. Put it in the trash, and make the rest of them.

Step 10 : Spread with your favorite toppings, fold in quarters to make a quarter circle, and enjoy.

Note : If you’re making these ahead like I did, you can let them cool completely, stack them, and wrap them in aluminum foil. They’ll hold at room temperature until dinner. You can either reheat them briefly in a skillet before serving, or serve them at room temperature.