Perfect Pancake Day Crepes

So I have been gone AWOL for quite some time now. I'm making no excuses this time, just a case of c'est la vie! However, I couldn't possibly let Pancake Tuesday (17th February 2015 FYI) pass without a post to mark one of my favourite foodstuffs. I am a breakfast fiend and though I have tried and made a few savoury pancakes, the sweet always wins over as a tasty morning breakfast treat for me. I have come to be a fan of thicker and smaller buttermilk pancakes in recent times, which I've blogged about before, but I will always stay true to my deep fondness for the crepe. This recipe is quick and easy. It can be prepared in advance. So, if you're all guns blazing to be an uber prepared breakfast queen/king, you can have this prepared and in the fridge on Monday evening! However, even fifteen minutes or so of resting time in the fridge provides really great crepes. This recipe should make about 6/7 crepes.

Crepes - left: served with maple syrup and berries, right: the traditional lemon juice and sugar

Ingredients:

• A good tbsp butter
• 150 g plain flour (sifted)
• 300 ml milk (heated but not boiled*)
• 1 large egg

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C/300 F/gas mark 2, just to be able to keep the crepes nice and warm during cooking. Also get a few slices of parchment paper ready for layering.
2. Heat and melt the butter in your frying pan.
3. Blitz the flour and egg together in a food processor.
4. Add the heated milk, slowly but surely, while the processor is blitzing. (*I simply heat my milk in a bowl in the microwave - just play it by ear, quick zaps and you should be done in a minute or so).
5. Your mixture will be quite runny and liquid. It's now time to add in and stir through the butter and then let it rest in the fridge.
6. Heat up your pan with a little more butter added.
7. Add in a good blob of mixture to the centre, swirl it out to the sides to thin it out nicely to your liking. The first side should take about a minute to cook, and the second less, maybe 30 to 40 seconds.
8. Once each crepe is done, set it aside on a plate ready to go into the oven, and layer with parchment paper as you go.
9. Smother your creations with your favourite toppings, pour yourself a cup of your beverage of choice and tuck into your treat breakie!
10. Bon appétit mes amis....x.

Mental Health Ireland are running a great initiative called #SmileyPancake which I have mentioned on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I will put up some pics of my smiling pancakes with the above hashtag. This is to highlight awareness of mental health issues and to promote positive mental health. You can check out more on their website - do get involved and share your #SmileyPancake photos on social media. Happy, smiley Pancake Day everyone!