Perfect Homemade Crepes -- The Heart-Shaped Breakfast We Make Every Year

Valentine's Day is Wednesday and Noah has been in the full grip of the holiday since Monday when his preschool class made valentines for their families. He brought home four paper hearts, one for each member of the family he could remember at that moment, labeled in his own writing: MAMA, DADA, MASEN, LILE. Ethan and Olivia were conspicuously absent from the distribution. When I pointed this out he said: they can share. I said: that is a very practical position. He nodded.

I made heart-shaped pancakes for Valentine's Day breakfast, which I have been doing every year since Ethan was three, and which I have been doing with a squeeze bottle since Olivia was eight, which means the hearts are slightly more accurate than before but still not precise enough to avoid commentary. This year Mason said: that one is anatomically correct. He means the heart has the right number of ventricles. He has been watching too much science television with his grandfather and I am not even slightly sorry.

The first of the two monthly workshops was Thursday evening, the Orem center, thirty-eight women. The second is next Thursday at American Fork for the first time, which is the third community center on the schedule and which makes two workshops per month official. The Orem director came to observe the Thursday workshop and stayed for the full two hours and took notes and afterward said she wanted to talk about expanding the program. I said I would like that. I drove home and sat in the driveway, which is apparently where I process significant workshop evenings, and thought about what it means to be building something that other people are now also building.

Brandon's Valentine's gift to me this year: he cleaned the kitchen without being asked, including the inside of the microwave, which has been in a state I will not describe publicly. He left me a note on the counter that said: clean microwave is my love language. I left a note back that said: yours too. He laughed when he found it. This is our Valentine's Day. It is the right Valentine's Day for us.

The heart-shaped pancakes are non-negotiable in this house — Mason’s anatomical commentary notwithstanding — but some years when I want something that feels a little more special without requiring a lot more effort, I pull out the crepe batter instead. Crepes drape beautifully over strawberries, fold into quarters with Nutella, and somehow make a Wednesday morning feel like a occasion worth marking. They’re also forgiving in the way that Valentine’s Day breakfast needs to be when you’re feeding a preschooler who will share his with two siblings and a pancake that may or may not have the correct number of ventricles.

Perfect Homemade Crepes

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes rest) | Servings: 8–10 crepes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Blend the batter. Combine the flour, eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 20–30 seconds until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides if needed and blend once more.
2. Rest the batter. Pour the batter into a bowl or pitcher, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours). Resting allows the gluten to relax so your crepes come out tender rather than chewy.
3. Heat the pan. Set a 9- or 10-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Add a small knob of butter and swirl to coat. The pan is ready when the butter foams and begins to subside.
4. Cook the crepes. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and immediately tilt and swirl the pan in a circular motion so the batter spreads into a thin, even round. Cook for 60–90 seconds, until the edges look dry and lacy and the underside is lightly golden.
5. Flip and finish. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula and flip. Cook the second side for 20–30 seconds, until lightly set. Slide onto a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to the pan as needed. Stack finished crepes — they won’t stick.
6. Serve. Fill or top as desired: fresh berries and whipped cream, Nutella and sliced banana, lemon juice and powdered sugar, or a simple drizzle of warm maple syrup.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 95 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 85mg