Flipping Fun For Your Palate

These fab ways to dish out crepes will have you reaching out for your mixing bowls and pans on the double.

Poppy seed crepes with cream cheese filling

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Calorie count: 350 calories (per serving)

Ingredients:

For the crepes:

1 tbsp poppy seeds

A pinch of salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp lemon zest

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp melted butter

1 ¼ cup milk

2 eggs

For the filling:

½ cup sifted powdered sugar

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

⅓ cup whipping cream

2 cups cream cheese, softened

Method:

1. For the filling, add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth, using an electronic mixer/hand blender on medium speed.
2. Next, add the whipping cream and pure vanilla extract and beat the mixture on low speed until well-combined. Stir in the powdered sugar and fold well.
3. For the crepes, whisk the butter, water, milk, and eggs until smooth. In another bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar by rubbing them together. Add poppy seeds, salt, and flour and mix well. Fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Lightly grease a pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour some batter into the pan and swirl it around until the bottom is coated evenly.
4. Cook until the edges of the crepe start pulling away from the pan. Flip and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Set aside and keep warm.
5. To serve, spoon the filling over each crepe, roll, and slice.

Tip: Dust with icing sugar and serve along with fruit compote.

Coffee crepes with orange mascarpone

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Calorie count: 350 calories (per serving)

Ingredients:

For the crepes:

¼ cup oil

4 large eggs

Cooking spray

A pinch of salt

3 tbsp instant coffee

3 ½ cup all-purpose flour

For the filling:

A pinch of salt

1 cup mascarpone

A pinch of cardamom powder

1 tbsp orange juice

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp orange zest

Method:

1. Whisk together salt, flour and coffee to prepare the crepes. Set aside and whisk together eggs, oil, and milk in another bowl. Gradually add this mixture to the flour mixture and continue whisking until smooth.
2. Once done, use cooking spray to grease a pan and place over medium heat. Add the batter to the pan and continue to swirl until the bottom of the pan is evenly covered.
3. Let the crepes cook in the pan over medium heat until the edges of the crepe start pulling away from the pan. Flip and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Add all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl and thoroughly mix everything with a spatula.
5. Lightly grease 6-inch oval baking dishes and line them up with the cooked crepes. Spoon in the mascarpone filling and bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ for 9 to 10 minutes.
6. Top it up with maple syrup and serve warm.
7. Tip: Don’t overbeat the mascarpone, else it will become grainy.

Gingerbread crepes with baked apples and caramel sauce

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Calorie count: 375 calories (per serving)

Ingredients:

For the crepes:

¼ tsp clove powder

1 tsp ginger powder

¼ tsp nutmeg powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp liquid caramel

2 tbsp melted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

For the baked apples and caramel sauce:

¼ cup whipping cream

4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

½ cup brown sugar

A pinch of nutmeg powder

¼ cup melted butter

½ tsp cinnamon powder

Method:

1. For the crepes, whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Lightly grease a crepe pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the batter and swirl to completely cover the bottom of the pan.
3. Cook until the edges of the crepe pull away from the pan. Flip and cook for 30 seconds. Set aside and keep warm.
4. For the baked apples, preheat the oven to 200℃. Place the apple wedges in a glass baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Add ¼ cup brown sugar and all the melted butter and mix well to coat apple wedges. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Use a slotted spoon to get the baked apples out of the baking dish and set aside. Keep warm.
6. Pour the juices from the baking dish into a saucepan and add whipping cream and the remaining brown sugar. Boil until the mixture turns a rich brown color and is reduced to a thick, caramel-sauce consistency, whisking it occasionally.
7. Serve the gingerbread crepes with baked apple wedges and warm caramel sauce.

Tip: Keep the apple wedges warm by reducing the oven temperature to 150℃.

The sweet allure of the jasmine flower is irresistible in perfumes and other beauty products. So why should your palate be robbed of this delicate flavor and heady scent?

A touch of jasmine syrup, added to anything from drinks to desserts, can make a world of difference to your culinary creation.

Make your own jasmine syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh jasmine flowers

2 cups filtered water

1 cup sugar

Method:

1. Gently rinse the flowers, and keep aside. Bring water to a boil, then add sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Take off heat and add jasmine flowers. Cover it and let in infuse for 2 to 3 hours. Decant into an airtight bottle and refrigerate.
2. This syrup can be added to desserts, teas, cocktails, lemonade and even chilled water for a refreshing fragrant drink.

Related Article: Sinful Delights.