Getting Creative with Crêpes

Forget the pancakes, waffles and oatmeal.

With the warm days last week, I craved something light and filling. It probably had to do with the weekly get-together that I have with some other local foodies. We are a small group of women who meet at different homes to talk about recipes, exchange ideas and anything else that is food-related.

One of the women shared her recipe for crêpes, and I thought I would give them a try. The recipe one of the women talked about was a fresh crêpe filled with ricotta cheese laced with lemon and with a dollop of sour cream on top.

If you have ever had crêpes in your youth or childhood, there will come a day when you have an irresistible longing to eat them again. And then for a short time, just forget about your New Year's resolution to go on a diet.

Crêpes are thin like pancakes and typically stuffed with a delicious filling, such as a cherries, fruit or cheese.  

Making your own crêpes may seem complicated, but they are among the easiest dishes to prepare. They can be made a few days in advance or fresh-frozen and reheated later for a quick meal.

The fillings are the perfect medium for experimentation and so easy to improvise with anything from the fridge.

This week's spotlight shines on Caroline's fresh crêpes filled with ricotta  and then laced with lemon. They sounded too delicious to pass up, but I'll let you decide after you have made them for yourself.

What you will need:

Batter

4 eggs
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
lemon zest

Combine eggs and oil in a bowl and beat until light and frothy. Beat in milk, then beat in flour and salt.

Beat until well blended, and pour the batter into a pitcher and cover. Place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes until the flour absorbs the liquid and thickens.

Place a frying pan over medium heat and lightly grease the pan.  When it is very hot, quickly pour the batter into the pan and swirl quickly to cover the entire surface, rapidly pouring the excess back into the pitcher.

When batter starts curling away from the sides of the pan, it is done. Repeat this procedure until all the batter is gone. Cool crêpes on a large cookie sheet.

Filling

½ pound of ricotta cheese

1 pint of cottage cheese

1 to 2 tbsp of sugar

2 tbsp sour cream

Blend cheese, sugar and sour cream together until creamy.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of a crêpe and fold the bottom of the crêpe up over the filling.  Fold the opposite sides of the crêpe in to meet the middle.  Now, fold the crêpe over to ensure it is totally enclosed with the filling.

Arrange filled crêpe, folded side down on a platter.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine in a frying pan. Place each crêpe into the frying pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.

Serve hot with sour cream or pour this wonderful cherry sauce over them.

Cherry sauce

1 cup of a jar of Morello cherries with juice (available at or fresh when in season at the local

1 tbsp cornstarch

In a saucepan, add the cherries and juice. Stir until it starts to boil, then add the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water in a small cup. Add this mixture to the cherries when they boil; this will thicken the juice to a wonderful sauce.

Pour the sauce over the crêpe and sour cream.

Serves 4