One well-loved variant of pancake, albeit not as fluffy, is the crepe. In order to produce thin crepes, the batter is quickly spread over the cooking surface either by tilting the pan or hot plate or by distributing it with a specialized spatula. There are two crepe variants, namely, sweet and savory. The former is also known as crépes sucrées and these usually make use of wheat flour. Savory crepes, also called galettes or crépes salées are unsweetened and usually made with buckwheat flour.
Crepes are introduced by Bretons of Northwestern France. Today, crepes have become a popular dish around the world and they can be bought on crepe carts along the streets, in carnivals, creperies, and even in restaurants. Crepes are very versatile. When served as main course, they can be filled with a combination of ingredients like meat, cheeses, eggs, vegetables, mushrooms. As dessert, they are usually served with jams, chocolate, whipped cream, and ice cream.
Crepes are well-loved because they are tasty, affordable, and handy since they can be rolled as you would a sandwich wrap. They are also much healthier compared to other pastries, that is of course, if you donât go heavy on the cream and other sweet fillings.
If you want to serve your family with something new and different for breakfast, snacks, or desserts, consider getting a crepe maker. There are stovetop griddles, as well as gas-powered and electric crepe makers available in the market today. Many say that the best stovetop, gas, or electric crepe makers to buy are those made with cast iron since these are durable and allow for even heat distribution which is necessary in making great tasting, uniform, thin crepes that arenât torn on the edges. The drawbacks of cast iron crepe makers though are that they are hefty, have special cleaning instructions, and need to be seasoned every now and then to keep from sticking to the surface. One option would be to buy enamel-coated cast iron crepe makers which are a bit pricier but do not have to be seasoned unlike their bare cast iron counterparts.
If you want something lighter and do not require regular seasoning go for crepe machine or pans made with stainless steel instead. Keep in mind though that stainless steel is not as good as a heat conductor, unless it has an aluminum or copper core. They also tend to be more expensive than cast iron griddles. To make cooking and cleaning easier, go for those with non-stick surfaces.
When shopping around for crepe machines, look for those that have adjustable and intuitive temperature settings so you can create crepes with varying degrees of doneness. These kitchen implements can also help you in making other pancake variants such as the Indian cheela and Indonesian serabi.