Crepes for Kids
Creperies in France are popular little spots; they draw the young as easily as they entice the old. They are unique places where the sweet smell of sugar and savory taste of meat intermingle and satisfy the most finicky of palates. Most creperies are fashioned like little restaurants, specializing in dessert crepes as well as galettes, which are wholesome crepes made with savory ingredients, perfect for light meals.
Consider the joy of a child’s face when they are served a stack of pancakes, — now imagine the same expression when you feed them a healthy version of the same (which they don’t think of any less fondly). If you like the idea of this, perhaps it is time to enter the wonderful world of crepes. Crepes are a great, fun alternative for kids’ lunches, breakfasts, and even dinners. They are fun and easy to make, and as the maker you can control the nutrition levels within them. They are an incredible option for families with finicky eaters and allergies or families that are just looking for fun meal alternatives.
Mixing the batter is easier than most think. It is a simple combination of eggs, flour, butter, and optional sweeteners and flavorings that can be brought together in a blender or mixed in a bowl with the assistance of an electric hand blender. Unless I have a particular dessert in mind, I prefer to make a batter without sugar and use ingredients that are slightly sweet. I found my batter recipe in cookbook by Lou Seibert Pappas, Crepes: Sweet & savory Recipes for the Home Cook (recipe at the end of this article).
I utilize Lou Seibert Pappas’ Savory Crepes batter recipe most of the time, altering my preference on the flour, most often using Bob’s Red Hill Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and occasionally Bob’s Red Hill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. I find that though the flour traditionally utilized in crepes is bleached all-purpose flour, I prefer pastry flour for the light and airy crepes it produces as well as the gluten-free flour when making crepes for those with food allergies and arthritis (such as visiting grandparents).
The filling of the crepe is what helps decide whether it should be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Below are a few of my favorite ingredients, though crepes really can be filled with nearly anything. It is fun to experiment and find what kids and the rest of the family like best. Lou Seibert Pappas’ Crepes: Sweet & Savory Recipes for the Home Cook book provides some great inspiration.
For Breakfast: Start with a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese, creme fraiche, yogurt, or marscapone cheese; add slices of banana and strawberries, enough to fill the center of the crepe; drizzle with a bit of fruit puree if available, otherwise add a touch of fruit preserves.
For Lunch: Melt slices of Gruyere or provolone cheese on the crepe, add approximate two teaspoons of apricot jam, and accent it with a touch of sweet basil.
For Dinner: Coat the crepe with pesto sauce, add shredded chicken and shredded mozzarella.
Savory Crepe Batter Recipe
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour, preferably bleached
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Mix all ingredients in a blender or in a bowl with a hand-mixer, chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to twenty-four hours. When I want to sweeten the batter I add 1 to 2 tablespoons of organic brown sugar and substitute Adam and Eve’s organic apple juice in place of the water.
Cooking the crepes is also easy, it just takes a little practice to get the hang of how much batter to pour (about 1/4 cup for a 9-10 in. pan) and how to spread it out evenly (easiest to use the special crepe spreading tool). During a quiet moment, take some time to practice. It’s worth the effort. Kids just love crepes and parents enjoy the grateful smiles and grins they produce on their children’s faces.
