Fancy Crêpes
These crêpes add heavy cream and vanilla to a classic batter, giving a richer, softer result than the plain version. The recipe is adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon. The batter is whisked in two stages to control gluten, then rested at least an hour so it cooks up tender. Swap the vanilla for orange zest if you prefer, and use the leftovers within a few days, reheated in a pan.
Instructions
Stir the flour, salt and sugar together in a mixing bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla until smooth.
Pour half of the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk hard. This is where some gluten forms, so whisk more or less depending on how chewy you like your crêpes.
Add the remaining egg mixture and whisk until combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight if you can, so the flavor deepens and the batter relaxes.
Leave the batter out for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Heat a pan over medium heat, melt the butter, and stir it into the batter.
When the pan is hot but not smoking, pour in ⅓ cup of batter and tilt and rotate the pan so it spreads evenly. If the shape goes wrong, cook it through anyway and eat it.
When the edges start to pull away from the pan, flip the crêpe with any thin utensil a few inches wide that slides under it easily. Cook longer for a crisper crêpe, but do not let it burn. A hotter pan cooks faster, and a crêpe can be done in about 20 seconds on high heat, though low and slow works too.
Serve the crêpes warm. To keep leftovers, wrap them airtight, refrigerate, and reheat on the stovetop.
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