Crepes

I absolutely adore crepes. I love their elegant simplicity combined with their comfort food goodness.  My love goes even deeper and more personal back to when I stood at my grandmother's elbow as she made "thin pancakes."  When my grandparents would come and visit my family as we lived across the country, it was a treat that I looked upon with excitement.  With my grandparents came all their old world mysteries of stories, food and accents, and the special attention only a grandparent can give.  My grandparents were children of immigrants that came through Ellis Island.  Standing beside her on a stool I watched with fascination as she would put a teaspoon of Crisco into a saute pan, after it melted she would pour in the batter swirling it the pan to spread the batter. I loved watching the edges of the pancake bubble up forming lacy edges as they fried up.  I don't remember if she sprinkled powdered sugar on her pancakes like I have seen in some of my friends' family traditions. We topped ours with syrup and of course lots of butter. Now I prefer a quick fruit syrup made in the microwave or in small sauce pan .  I don't use my grandmother's recipe any longer but I have included it in her honor.

Granny's Thin Pancake Recipe
2 cups flour
2 cups milk
4 eggs
dash of salt

Mix ingredients together until smooth with no lumps.

Crepes
makes 20-25 medium size crepes
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla optional
1 tablespoon sugar

Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder ingredients in large bowl.
Add to the same bowl the milk, eggs, oil, vanilla if using.
Whisk the ingredients together (I use the whisk attachement on my hand mixer or you can use a blender).
Let the ingredients stand for 15 minutes.
Generously oil sautepan and pour thin layer of batter in pan swirling batter to make thin circle.
Using a thin edged spatula lift edge of crepe and turn cooking a few minutes on each side.  Cook until desired browness is achieved.  I always try to stay on the extreme light side.