My family looks forward to our Sunday morning breakfasts and I think breakfast sets the tone for my entire day. I would love to add more variety to our usual menu, but time and habit have me usually making the standard pancakes or waffles. I know my family always enjoys them, but I would like to mix things up. To feed a hungry crew of 5 though, I need to keep things simple.
This week instead of the usual breakfast, I grabbed the same mix and gave it a little twist. Crepes are something we usually reserve for ordering in restaurants, but I was surprised to find they are easy to make at home using the same ingredients I would be using for those pancakes.
Of course, this Mom can't make anything before her morning cup of coffee. Crepe morning was special, so I grabbed a flavored coffee. Growing up my Dad always bought Folger's Coffee and when I was at Walmart I noticed the Cinnamon Swirl flavor. Yum!
I have been known to flavor my own coffee, but this was easier. It was the perfect blend of spice and coffee to get me ready to tackle crepe making.
Instead of making the mix with just water, I added in enough water for a thinner batter, a little sugar and eggs. Then I let the batter rest for a half an hour in the refrigerator. I heard the batter will not rise when cooked if it sits beforehand. Crepes should be as thin as possible and not puffy.
A good non-stick skillet and non-stick spray are essential for getting the crepe to flip during cooking. I tried butter, but the spray gave me a higher success rate. My first few crepes were a flop. What did I learn?
- Thin batter is key
- Don't add too much batter to the skillet. 2 Tbsp. really is enough!
- Gently loosen the crepe with your spatula
- Allow the crepe to cook enough on one side before attempting to flip it. I found if the surface looked wet at all, it would fall apart when I tried to move it.
Now that I had the hang of it, I was in full crepe making mode. I think I might even be better at crepe making now than making pancakes.
When I lived in Japan there was a little crepe stall in the next town over that I frequented on the weekend. It had a huge board with all the topping possibilities you could choose from. Really the sky is the limit to what you can enjoy inside your crepes! I always ordered mine with chocolate and fresh fruit. So, this morning I wanted to recreate that with items from my pantry.
I filled mine with a smear of Jif® Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread for the chocolate. If you are feeling really adventurous, I highly recommend adding in some Jif® Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread for an added treat.
Then I topped my crepes with blueberries, folded them up and dusted them with powdered sugar.
Now crepes aren't only reserved for restaurants. With a simple mix and delicious spreads, I can serve my family a restaurant-style treat at home anytime. Paired with my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee from Folger's this was my simple breakfast solution.
The recipe with printable PDF version are below. You can find other great Hungry Jack recipes on their website.
Think outside the box. How would you enjoy your Hungry Jack pancake mix?
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