How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry-Creme Crepes with Fresh Summer Berries
Crepes are thin, tender French-style pancakes, perfect for folding around a sweet or savory filling of your choice. All you need is the batter, a nicely hot skillet, and a good rubber spatula.
1lb.fresh strawberries, stems removed, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/3cupgranulated sugar
8oz.mascarpone cheese
2Tbs.unsalted butter, room temperature
zest of 1/2 lemon
2Tbs.fresh lemon juice
16 oz. pkg. dry crepe mix, I used Marie Antoinette's Gluten-Free Crepe Mix, prepared according to pkg. directions in a batter bowl (you will only need milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter)
butter, for cooking the crepes
assorted summer berries and powdered sugar, for garnishing
Instructions
Toss the diced strawberries with the sugar in a large bowl, letting the strawberries macerate for 1-2 hours, or even overnight in the fridge, so the sugar can dissolve into the berries and make juice.
After macerating, use a sloppted spoon to place half of the strawberries into the bowl of a food processor; purée until smooth. Add the mascarpone cheese and process once more until the filling is smooth and creamy; refrigerate until ready to use.
Place the butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the remaining strawberries, along with any strawberry juices that have accumulated, plus the lemon zest and juice, stirring to combine.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the strawberries are very soft and the sauce has become thick and syrupy, 8-10 minutes; set aside and let cool slightly.
To assemble the crepes, melt a bit of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium - medium high heat; swirl to coat the pan with butter. Using a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of the prepared crepe batter to the center of the pan, listening for a bit of sizzle as you do so.
Lift the skillet, swirling it so that the batter spreads out thinly across the bottom of the pan, spreading evenly to the edges of the skillet. Cook the crepe for 45-60 seconds or until the bottom of the crepe is lightly browned; flip the crepe over, cooking it for an additional 30-60 seconds, or until nicely browned. Repeat with the remaining crepe batter.
Place the warm crepes onto a platter as you cook them. Or, if you are making the crepes ahead of time, stack them with sheets of parchment paper in between each one to separate them more easily later, keeping them warm in the oven.)
To fill the crepes, spread a spoonful or two of the strawberry creme over one half of each crepe, then drizzle a little of the strawberry sauce on top. Fold the filled crepe into quarters, placing each one onto a platter or individual serving plates.
To serve, drizzle each prepared crepe with more strawberry sauce, fresh berries and powdered sugar. Enjoy at once!
Notes
Use a non-stick skillet that has low sides and a heavy bottom. The low sides make it easier to flip the crepes and the heavy-bottom of the skillet ensures a nice, golden brown finish on your crepes.
A rubber spatula is very handy for loosening the edges of the crepe from the pan, allowing you to grasp the crepe with your fingers (gingerly!), peeling the crepe up off the bottom of the pan and quickly flipping it over. Keep in mind that the second side of the crepe will cook in about half the time as the first.
If you need to make your crepes ahead of when your guests will arrive, a good baking sheet is helpful for keeping them warm in the oven; place small squares of parchment or wax paper between each crepe to keep them from sticking to each other.
When the crepe batter is poured into the skillet, you want to hear a very slight sizzling noise; this is the perfect temperature for crepes since it will provide nice browning but still allow for the crepe batter to spread out as you swirl it around the pan.
if you prefer super thin, delicate crepes, once you’ve poured in 1/4 cup – 1/3 cup of the batter (depending on the size of skillet you are using), carefully lift the buttered pan from the heat, tilting your wrist a bit so that the batter rolls to one side, then swirl the pan to coat the entire bottom evenly with the crepe batter.
When it comes to crepe fillings, the sky is the limit, truly. You can make savory crepes, filling them with seafood and fancy cheeses, or a sweet filling as simple as warm strawberry jam sprinkled with powdered sugar.