Lemon Crêpes for Chandeleur
- Sweet
- Quick
- French
- Stovetop
Thin, tender stovetop crêpes with a bright squeeze of lemon and a dusting of sugar, the classic Chandeleur treat. The batter rests while you set the table, so the whole thing stays under twenty minutes.
- Total
- 20 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 12 · Rest 2
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Zesting
Instructions
-
Melt 20 g of the butter in a small pan over low heat and let it cool slightly. Zest the lemon into a small dish, then cut the lemon into wedges for serving.
~3 min
Cooling the melted butter slightly keeps it from cooking the eggs when it is stirred into the batter.
Zesting Zest only the bright yellow peel, pressing lightly and turning the lemon as you go. Stop before you reach the white pith, which is bitter.
-
In a mixing bowl, whisk the 2 eggs with 1 tbsp of the sugar and the pinch of salt until smooth. Whisk in the 125 g flour, then gradually add the 300 ml milk, whisking to a lump-free batter the texture of thin cream. Stir in the melted butter.
~3 min
Adding the milk gradually and whisking keeps the gluten from clumping, giving a smooth, lump-free batter.
Whisking Whisk in a steady circular motion, adding the milk gradually, and scrape the bottom of the bowl so no dry flour hides there. Stop as soon as the batter is smooth.
-
Let the batter stand while the pan heats over medium heat. Rub the pan with a little of the remaining butter.
~2 min
Resting lets the flour hydrate and the gluten relax, so the crêpes turn out more tender and less likely to tear.
Let the batter rest a few minutes before the first crêpe: the flour hydrates and the crêpes turn out more tender and less likely to tear.
-
Pour in a small ladle of batter and swirl the pan to coat it thinly. Cook until the edges lift and the underside is golden, about 1 minute, then flip and cook 30 seconds more. Slide onto a plate and repeat with the remaining batter and butter, stacking the crêpes as they finish.
~1 min
A thin, even coat cooks quickly and evenly, and the edges lifting is the cue that the underside is set and ready to flip.
The first crêpe often sticks or tears while the pan settles into the right heat. Treat it as a test and adjust the heat before cooking the rest.
-
Sprinkle the crêpes with the remaining 1 tbsp sugar, scatter over the lemon zest and squeeze lemon juice over the stack. Fold into quarters and serve warm with the lemon wedges.
~2 min
