PB&J Buckwheat Crepes

Every morning I eat the same breakfast, boring but true. Greek yogurt, fresh or frozen berries, and a half a cup of cereal, usually Kashi. It's a delicious dose of protein and calcium with a serving a fruit. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit where matters of breakfast are concerned. But today I broke out of my breakfast rut because I couldn't say no to these crepes filled with a thin smear of homemade peanut butter and topped with black raspberry jam.

Before this, I had never made a crepe in my life. Sure, I'd eaten plenty, some of the best while in Europe, and loved every bite, but had always stayed away from making them at home because I thought they were difficult to replicate.

Turns out I was very wrong. If you've made pancakes and own a non-stick skillet, you should make crepes. They're a cinch to prepare, and that's coming from a girl who struggles mightily to flip pancakes. When reading the recipe for these buckwheat crepes from David Lebovitz, he suggests running a spatula around the edge, then turning the crepes over with your fingers. It worked perfectly for me, though if you feel more comfortable with a spatula, then flip away!

I can only imagine the possibilities for the rest of the crepe batter left in my fridge. Filled with a little goat cheese and spinach, or a hefty spoonful of blueberry preserves and fresh peaches, or the classic Nutella crepe with a dollop of whipped cream. J. comes tomorrow, and besides counting down the hours until he gets here, I'm counting the number of crepe combinations we can eat together.

P.S. - If you don't have buckwheat flour, don't stress. Just substitute an equal amount of all-purpose or whole wheat flour.

PB&J Buckwheat Crepes
Adapted from David Lebovitz 
Ingredients
*2 cups whole or 2% milk
*1 tablespoon sugar
*1/4 teaspoon sea salt
*3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, melted
*1/2 cup buckwheat flour
*3/4 cup (105 gr) all-purpose flour
*3 large eggs
*1/2 cup black raspberry preserves or other preserves of your choosing
*1 cup peanut butter 


Instructions

*In a blender, or with a whisk, mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and chill overnight.

*To fry the crêpes, remove the batter from the refrigerator about an hour before frying. Stir it briskly; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. (If not, you can add a tablespoon of milk.)

*Heat a 8- to 9-inch skillet on the stovetop. You can use a real crêpe pan that's been seasoned, but I use a Tefal non-stick skillet which works great.

*Drop a tiny piece of butter or neutral oil in the hot pan and wipe it around with a paper towel. (I only do this for the first crêpe.)

*Lift the pan and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle of the hot skillet, swirling the pan to distribute the batter quickly and evenly. The pan shouldn't be too hot or too cold: the batter should start cooking within a few seconds, giving you just enough time to swirl it. It may take a couple of crêpes for you to get your rhythm.

*After about a minute, run a non-stick spatula around the underside of the rim of the crêpe, then flip the crepe over. I grasp the crepe with my fingers, but use the spatula if you wish.

*Let the crêpe cook on the flip side for about 30 seconds, then slide it out onto a dinner plate. Repeat, cooking the crepes with the remaining batter, stirring the batter every so often as you go.

*In two separate microwave-safe dishes, heat the jam and peanut butter in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, until it spreads easily. Fill the inside of each crepe with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter, fold in half, then in half again. Top with a spoonful of fruit preserves. 

*Crêpes should be served warm. To rewarm the crêpes for serving, fold the crepes and put them in a baking dish covered with foil. Heat them in a moderate oven until warmed through.

Happy Breakfast!

Madison