Crazy for crepes

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While most of us have had pancakes or at least are aware of them thanks to movies and instant mixes available over the counter these days, crepes are still relatively unknown in India. However, it should not be the case as crepes are simply European cousins of the US pancake and as with most differences between the two continents, the European version is classier.

The word “crepe” is French which in turn has been derived from the Spanish word “crispa”, meaning curled. A crepe is much thinner than a pancake and is usually eaten with a filling, sweet or savoury.

Classic crepe

This is the basic crepe recipe and one can use almost anything as a filling, from maple syrup, honey, chocolate sauce and fruits to shredded chicken and cheese.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
½ cup milk combined with ½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method
Whisk the flour and the eggs in a large mixing bowl. When well combined, gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter and beat either by hand or with an electric hand-mixer on low setting till smooth.
Heat a flat tawa or a griddle and drizzle a bit of oil or butter to just coat the surface. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately one-fourth cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan around in a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly but thinly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot with honey, maple syrup or chocolate sauce with chopped fruits like bananas or strawberries.

Waffle

A crisp waffle with a dollop of butter or honey is one of the yummiest things in the world. Making a waffle is almost as easy as a pancake and the only thing required is a waffle iron (a griddle with square-shaped depressions that gives the waffles its characteristic honeycombed shaped).
A waffle iron, however, is only required if you are a purist. If you don’t have one handy, just make it like a pancake. While the shape will be different, the taste won’t.

Ingredients
150 gm all purpose flour
150 gm whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
Salt
3 eggs
1½ cup milk
Oil
Waffle iron

Method
Add the flour (both), sugar, baking powder, and salt into one bowl and mix together.
In a separate bowl, add the eggs, milk and oil and combine with a handheld mixer till they form a uniform mixture. Add the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or a spatula till no lumps remain.
Pour half a cup of the mixture on to a hot waffle iron and cook till the waffle is golden. If you are not using a waffle iron, make the waffle like a pancake over an oiled griddle.
Serve hot with a dollop of butter or honey.