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Chocolate Crêpe Batter

Chocolate crêpes are yummy as a cake (this is a big trend these days) or as the casing for a yummy macerated berry dessert or a twist on Crêpes Suzette

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  • 50 g all purpose flour sifted
  • 21 g cocoa powder sifted
  • 45 g granulated sugar
  • 1/8 t salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 oz whole milk
  • ½ t best vanilla extract 1 t if not top notch
  • 1 oz butter browned and cooled

Instructions

  1. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add both eggs and whisk them into the dry ingredients until a stiff paste is formed. You may not incorporate all the dry, but that’s okay and expected. The important task here is getting as much of the dry into a lump as possible. Add the browned butter and a wee bit of milk.
  2. Whisk slowly and deliberately to avoid splashing onto the counter or you. Add a bit more milk and keep whisking and adding until the milk is gone. Transfer the batter to a container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  3. Cocoa is exceptionally dry. Depending on your kitchen and the cocoa, you may need to whisk into the batter a little more milk. Start with a tablespoon and add more milk if needed.

  4. How will you know if it is needed? When you cook your first crêpe you will know. I have not had crepes not work for too much liquid as long as it is reasonable.

  5. Nonstick pans are a wonder which I love to use in the kitchen. Crêpes is as good a reason as any to own one.

  6. For a normal 8 inch pan, about ¼ cup of batter is enough. I use less because I want the thinnest crepe I can make. Too thick, and they lose that quality which makes them crepes. And they are not good pancakes.

  7. Keep your pan on low heat. Speed is not our concern here. Getting the crêpe cooked, browned and released is our concern and it takes the time it takes. Crêpes are zen. They will tell you when they are done.

  8. Start by pouring quickly but not fast the batter into the middle of the heated pan. With a wrist motion, twirl the pan to allow the crepe batter to coat the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to the stove and allow it to cook. You can pry at the edges to start to loosen the edge. As it cooks, the edges will start to curl a bit and that is a sign that you can flip. You’ll see in a video I’ve linked the cook uses a spatula. I use my fingers. It’s not that hot and using our fingers helps prevent tools poking holes in your crêpes.

  9. Flip it over and cook it for a few seconds just to make sure both sides are done. When done, place it on a baking paper lined sheet pan. Repeat the process and place each crepe on the previous but descending a bit, like a stack of quarters which as slid into a line.
  10. When they are cool, they can be stacked and wrapped in a zip top baggy until ready to use.
    stack of cooked crepes

Recipe Notes

Here's the video showing the write motion of crepe batter distribution.