I remember fondly a special breakfast I had once in Florida. No doubt the atmosphere added to the special memory, but the meal was special on its own as well. My husband and I were visiting his father and we all found ourselves agreeing to spend some quality time with his aunt and uncle at their condo on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Now, having access to a beach is a bit of a treat for two frozen land-locked Wisconsinites, so we were in heaven. Once morning, we all got up early and headed to the beach for breakfast at the little restaurant at the beach. Everything on the menu looked wonderful, but I opted for an item featuring crepes with fresh berries. Being early March, we weren't likely to see very flavorful fresh berries in Wisconsin for a while! Well, the meal made a lasting impression and even inspired me to try my hand at recreating it.
The recipe below is the result of my efforts. It's a good attempt, if I do say so myself. I believe that the original dish featured honey in the filling, but I opted for maple syrup. (Anyone who's been making it every spring for decades would too!) If maple syrup isn't for you, feel free to try honey as a substitute. Also, you can vary the fruit to suit your tastes and the season as well. In the late summer, I once tried fresh sliced peaches and mulberries. It was a very tasty combination as well. The combination here was taken right from that lovely beach breakfast of years past ... and it still inspires me as it did then.
As always, I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments in the discussion board using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at . Enjoy!
Fruit Crepes
- 2 eggs
- 1 c. evaporated skim milk
- 1/3 c. water
- 1 c. flour
- 2 T. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 T. amaretto (optional)
- 2 T. butter, melted, plus 2 to 3 teaspoons for coating the pan
- 1/2 c. lowfat cream cheese
- 2 T. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 c. mixed berries -- I like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
- Powdered sugar
In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, evaporated skim milk, water, flour, sugar, vanilla, amaretto, and the 2 tablespoons melted butter for 5 seconds, or until smooth. Stir down and repeat, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 hours is preferable) or up to 24 hours.
Gently stir the batter if it has separated. Heat a seasoned 6- or 7-inch nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat until hot. Wipe the pan lightly with butter, lift the pan from the heat, and pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter, tilting and rotating the pan to coat the surface. Cook the crepe until almost done (dry on top and lightly browned around the edges), about 1 minute. Loosen the edges with a metal spatula and flip the crepe over using your fingers or the spatula, then cook the other side for about 15 seconds, or until lightly browned. Turn the crepe out onto a clean tea towel to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter as needed and stacking the crepes as they are cooked.
Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, maple syrup and cinnamon in a small bowl and whip until well mixed. To assemble the crepes, spoon about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto one quarter of a finished crepe and fold over twice. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Place 3-4 finished crepes on a plate and garnish with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
- Yields: 16-18 crepes
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus chilling time for the batter