This is one of my favorite Russian recipes and a great addition to your recipe arsenal.
Growing up in Russia, every celebration included crepes (or blini, as we call them). We would stuff them with meat, egg salad, jam, chocolate, or caramel, or dip them into sour cream and sugar. The possibilities were and are endless. There is nothing like a homemade crepe and the aroma that fills your kitchen while you make it. I’ve been using this recipe for over a decade. It’s easy, versatile, and just plain awesome both by itself and with all kinds of yummy fillings.
Yield: 25-30 crepes
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
- 3 cups milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Canola oil, a small potato, and butter for cooking
Method
In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
Add 1 cup of milk and mix again, then add 2 cups of flour, mixing with a wire whisk until the batter is smooth.
While mixing, gradually add remaining 2 cups of milk.
Pour some canola oil in a shallow bowl or ramekin. Cut a small potato in half and put it on a fork for use in spreading oil in the pan (this was one of the tricks my mom used whenever she made crepes so it’s what I do as well).
Preheat a slightly oiled 9 1/2 inch non-stick pan over medium heat. Using a ladle or cup, pour about 1/3-1/2 cup of batter onto the skillet (adjust the amount based on your results). Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula and flip to cook the other side.
Place cooked crepes on a buttered plate, then spread butter between each crepe so that they don’t stick together.
Serve hot or room temperature with your favorite toppings.
Suggested fillings (see pictures below for how to fold them):
- Meat (I use leftover meat from my pelmeni recipe)
- Caramel (I prefer to make my own from sweetened condensed milk)
- Melted chocolate
- Jelly/jam
Suggested for dipping/spreading:
- Vanilla yogurt and fresh berries
- Plain yogurt mixed with honey and fresh berries
- Melted chocolate
- Whipped cream and fresh berries
- Sour cream and sugar
- Honey
- Jelly/jam
And to prove how versatile crepes are, when I made them to take pictures for this post, my husband and I ate the meat-filled ones for dinner, and then the chocolate and yogurt dipped ones for dessert.
Приятного аппетита! (Priyatnova appetita! Russian for ‘Bon Appetit!’)
I am a follower of Christ, wife of a pastor, mother of a strong-willed little boy, and native of Russia. In addition to cooking and baking, I enjoy drinking coffee and relaxing on the beach.