DESSERT CRÊPES

You can vary the flavoring of these sweet crêpes to suit the intended filling: rum with chocolate or nuts, Cointreau with orange or lemon, amaretto with almonds, Frangelico with hazelnuts, framboise with raspberries or strawberries, Cognac or brandy with stone fruits such as peaches or nectarines, and Calvados with apples.

In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, water, flour, sugar, vanilla, optional flavoring, and the 2 tablespoons necessary. Or, to mix by hand, sift the flour into a medium bowl and add the sugar. Whisk the eggs until blended, mix in the milk, water, vanilla, and optional flavoring, and whisk this mixture into the flour; stir in the 2 tablespoons melted butter. 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 crêpe pan over medium-high heat until hot. (Use a 9- or 10-inch nonstick crêpe pan for larger crêpes.) Wipe the pan lightly with butter, lift the pan from the heat, and pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter for a 6- or 7-inch pan, or about 1/4 cup for a 9- or 10-inch pan, tilting and rotating the pan to coat the surface. Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minute. Loosen the edges with a metal spatula and flip the crêpe over using your fingers or the spatula, then cook the other side for about 15 seconds, or until lightly browned. Turn the crêpe out onto a clean tea towel to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter as needed and stacking the crêpes as they are cooked.

For serving immediately, cover the crêpes with aluminum foil and keep them warm in a preheated 200-degree-F oven. For serving later, wrap them in plastic wrap in quantities intended for each use and slip them into a self-sealing plastic bag. Refrigerate the crêpes for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.

Makes sixteen to eighteen 6- or 7-inch crêpes, or ten to twelve 9- or 10-inch crêpes.

ESPRESSO CRÊPES: Grind 2 tablespoons coffee beans to a fine powder and add to the dessert crêpe batter when blending it.

CHESTNUT FLOUR DESSERT CRÊPES: Follow the dessert crêpe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup chestnut flour.

CHOCOLATE CRÊPES: Follow the dessert crêpe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa. Replace the 2 tablespoons sugar with 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar.

[Crêpes, Sweet & Savory Recipes for the Home Cook, Lou Seibert Pappas]