french Posts

03Mar
0

Crazy for Crêpes

Essentially super-thin pancakes, crêpes lend themselves to a variety of culinary creations both sweet and savory. In the sweet category, it doesn’t get any better than dessert crêpes filled with strawberry cream.

You can buy dessert crêpes at the supermarket or make your own. For the purposes of this recipe, we’re going to assume you’re the D.I.Y. type.

Ingredients — Dessert Crêpes

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tbsp. oil/melted butter
  • 1/2 tsp. vanila
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Ingredients — Filling

  • 2 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 8 oz. softened cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Mix strawberries and sugar (non-powdered) in a bowl and chill for an hour or more.
  • Drain to remove excess water.
  • Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in a separate mixing bowl and blend until smooth.
  • Stir in strawberries.
  • To make dessert crêpes, beat eggs and combine with the rest of the crêpe ingredients.
  • Heat a frying pan or crêpe pan on medium-high heat.
  • For each crêpe, pour 1/8 cup of crêpe batter into the pan. Tilt to spread the batter evenly.
  • Flip crêpe after the exposed side has darkened to light brown.
  • Fill crêpes and enjoy!
Posted by Sarah in Dessert Ideas, french, Recipes and tagged with , , , , ,
24Feb
0

Crème de la Crème Brûlée

Although enormously popular, crème brûlée is one of those desserts that people are reluctant to cook for themselves… probably because it involves a blowtorch. But whether you’re a firebug or flame retardant, homemade crème brûlée is actually deliciously attainable.

Read on for a blowtorch-optional recipe for classic crème brûlée.

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar
  • propane torch (if you so desire)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 275ºF
  • Warm cream and vanilla extract on low heat.
  • While the cream mixture is heating, blend egg yolks and sugar using a whisk.
  • When the cream starts steaming, shut off the heat and pour about 1/2 cup into the yolk mixture while continuing to whisk. This will warm up the yolks without allowing them to curdle.
  • Pour the yolk mixture into the rest of the cream while whisking the cream.
  • Pour mixture into oven-safe bowls — try traditional crème brûlée ramekins for an authentic look. If you have the time (and patience) (and willpower), chill the bowls overnight.
  • Arrange the bowls into a baking pan with tall sides. Pour simmering water in the pan until it is about half the height of the bowls.
  • Bake in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. You can wiggle a bowl to check if its done — ideally, you want the mixture to be solid at the edges but wobbly like Jell-O in the center.
  • Cover your bowls and let them chill for two hours.
  • Now it’s time to brûlée! Apply a thin coating of sugar to each bowl, then brown the sugar with your blowtorch until it turns gold. If you don’t have a blowtorch, set your oven to broil and heat each bowl for 20 to 30 seconds — this will caramelize the sugar.

For something a little different, try New York Magazine’s recipe for Pumpkin Crème Brûlée!

Posted by Sarah in Dessert Ideas, french, Recipes and tagged with , , , , , ,