Take a look at this fail-proof recipe for French crêpes–it is easy to make and there are many variations you can choose to put your own personal touch.

Homemade crêpes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup 1% milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Heat an 8-in. non-stick frying pan over medium-high.
2. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk, flour, butter, sugar and vanilla until no lumps remain.
3. Pour 1/2 cup batter into the centre of the hot pan. Lift pan from burner.
4. Quickly tilt to very thinly cover bottom.
5. Return pan to burner and cook until top is set and edges begin to turn golden, about 30 sec. Loosen with a spatula and flip. Continue cooking 30 sec more.
6. Transfer crepe to a plate. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.
7. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Serves 6 crepes

Per crepe: 94 calories, 4 g protein, 10 g carbs, 4 g fat, 46 mg sodium

Tip: Crepes keep well in a warm (low-temp) oven, covered, until ready to serve. Or cool and layer with wax paper and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Three variations to play with the flavour:

Lemon Crepes

Stir 2 tsp lemon zest into batter. Continue with recipe. Dust crepes with icing sugar. Serve with a lemon wedge or a dollop of marmalade.

Chocolate Crepes

Reduce flour to 1/3 cup. Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder. Replace vanilla with 1 tsp chocolate liqueur and  continue with recipe.

Savoury Crepes

Omit butter, sugar and vanilla. Add 2 tbsp grated parmesan, 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp finely chopped fresh basil. Season with pepper. Continue with recipe.

Breakfast Burritos

Scramble 2 eggs. Toss in 1/4 cup each black beans and salsa when the eggs are nearly done. Place mixture on bottom third of 2 Homemade Crepes. Roll up and top with sour cream, salsa and cilantro.

Frozen Dessert Crepes

Spoon 1/2 cup ice cream on lower right quarter of a Lemon Crepe. Fold left edge over ice cream, then fold into a triangle. Freeze until firm, 1 to 2 hours. Slice in half and serve with chocolate sauce or raspberry coulis.

Smoked Salmon Crepe Bites

Spread a Savoury Crepe with 2 tbsp softened cream cheese. Lay a single layer of smoked salmon across the bottom two-thirds of crepe. Season with pepper. Lay 6 chives across the salmon. Starting at bottom edge, roll up into a tight log. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Trim edges off crepe, then slice into 5 portions. Serve cut-side down, and top each piece with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped chives

Courtesy Claire Tansey

www.chatelaine.com

@tanseyclaire

Photo courtesy Roberto Caruso