Planes and People

Passport & Plate - Easy Strawberry Nutella Crepes

France | Tuesday, March 3, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Crepes
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
- Strawberries, cleaned and sliced
- Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread

 

How to prepare this recipe
Step 1: In a small bowl, sift together flour, salt and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, mix together egg, milk, butter and vanilla extract.

Step 2: Add the flour mixture into the large mixing bowl, whisking until smooth.

Step 3: Cover the mixture and let it rest anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. This is important to create a smooth, non-doughy texture

Step 4: Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and pour around 1/4 cup into the pan. Rotate the pan in a circular motion so the batter covers the pan evenly

Step 5: Once the surface of the crepe loses its shine and is dull, it is ready to flip (approximately 1 1/2 minutes). Flip the crepe and cook for another approximate 1 1/2 minutes.

Step 6: Spread the Nutella onto the middle of the crepe and top it with strawberries. Fold the crepe into fourths or roll it with the seam side down.

 

The story behind this recipe
My grandmother's house was my second home growing up. She was never a gourmet cook, instead preferring to stick to the simple tried-and-true recipes that fed and raised 4 kids and 9 grandchildren. While visiting my grandma when I was 8, I learned she had a new neighbor and I was invited over to the new neighbor's house for cookies and conversation. Unlike my 4'11" grandmother, Vivienne was tall, elegant and spoke in a wonderfully charming French accent. I became fascinated by Vivienne and her worldliness. I even studied French in school and would shyly practice my basic French phrases with her after school while snacking on milk and fruit filled cookies. It was through her I became fascinated with French culture.

Fast forward fifteen years and I finally visited Paris, France. There wasn't a happier girl in all of Paris during those entire two weeks I was there. Early in the morning I would wake up to stroll the cobblestone streets by myself, finding a croissant and coffee while listening to the city sounds of Parisians talking and smelling the freshly baked goods coming out of ovens. And nothing delighted me more than visiting small creperies and eating a delicately thin crepe filled with rich chocolate and tart strawberries. It was the epitome of Parisian and I'll never forget how rich and extravagant it tastes for such simple ingredients.

That is the magic behind food; it transports you to a world of sights, sounds and tastes that follow you through time. Whenever I make it in my home, I'm transported back to the 8 year old me listening to stories from an old Frenchwoman or the 13 year old me who continually tried (and failed) at various dessert recipes in hopes of becoming a French pastry chef or the 23 year old me falling in love in and with Paris for the first time. It is a world of memories and I cannot wait for more travel food and memories to come.