My Crepe Maker makes it so easy to make delicious authentic French crepes

When I was in Paris, there was a short period of time when I actually thought that I wasn't buying much, so I sort of panicked and looked for something to buy.

I entered the toy store to look for something for
Sofia but I found a crepe maker on sale at
half price instead. 

Needless to say, I ended up with the new toy. Sucker for a sale that I am, I really couldn't resist buying it for €12.50, and that was after I bought my Celine bag. My love for a sale and all things French made up for the excuse I couldn't use any more.

The business case was so simple. You can't say no to a crepe
maker that's cheaper than a crepe from Breizh Cafe!

Buying the crepe maker and carrying it home (while a bit of a hassle when you shop as much as I do) turned out to be the easier part.  It was much harder to find the time and energy to use it.

Good thing I finally got to use it before I forgot that I own one. (Note to self: I need to use the takoyaki maker I bought from Japan!)

I used the basic crepe recipe from my Quiche and Crepes
cookbook using eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla and melted butter.

The secret to making crepes with no bubbles is to let your batter rest so the flour can absorb the liquids.  Another secret if you're in a rush is 30 minutes is enough rest.

You can use this time to prepare the filling. 

Once you're ready, just switch on the crepe maker,  wait for the light to turn green, pour the batter and start spreading it quickly in a circular motion. 

The crepe vendors in Paris make it look so much easier than it really is. They say that you always need to throw away the first one, because that always doesn't come out nice. I think I threw away the first 4 I made.

Some tips so you can shorten your learning curve:

1. The crepe maker may be non-stick but the spreader isn't.  So grease, grease and grease! Otherwise, it won't spread anything. You'll just get a crumpled mess. 

2. Just spread in one one direction, otherwise you'll make holes!

3. It's all about balancing the amount of batter you put and spreading it quickly. If you pour too little,  you'll make holes. If you pour too much, it will cook before you spread everything. 

4. My most important tip: it's okay if it doesn't look perfect. Believe me, you can save it by plating it well. In fact, less crepe to fold means less carbs to eat and it will still taste amazing!

My first few crepes (that I got tired of throwing away) looked
like this. 

I was quite surprised when I made some that looked
quite acceptable.

Sof ordered a Nutella crepe. 

My mom wanted a ham and cheese crepe. 

My mom cooks really well so it was a big compliment when
she said that the crepe I made her was really good.

For myself, I made a scrambled egg, goat cheese and
truffle crepe.

It was so good with espresso. 

I love the crepe maker because you can regulate the heat, so you can fill them before making the next one, serving freshly made crepes every time, just the way they make them in Paris.

Since I made a whole batch of crepes anyway, I also made some dessert crepes.

Dulce de leche works really well, especially if you make it on
the grill because it melts and becomes more spreadable.

I also made one with fresh strawberries and cream. 

Then I topped it with home made berry jam. 

My aunts even came over for merienda and they gave the crepes
their stamp of approval too.

I made auntie Stella a dessert crepe, then I used the crepe maker to reheat the crepe which I used to make Ninang's savoury crepe. It looked so good when I was making it, Auntie Stella asked for one too.

I'm so happy with my crepe maker.  I'm glad I managed to justify to myself that I had to buy it. Just saying.