Introduction: Blueberry Cream Cheese Crepes

About: I've been teaching about 20 years. I love it. Kids are brilliant and fun to work with.
These blueberry cream cheese crepes are amazing.  I found them in a cook book and have been cooking them for about ten years.  This recipe does not have any flour, so folks with flour allergies can eat them.  I should point out that I don't have a gluten allergy, but have found this recipe to be far superior to any other.   I use blueberries in this recipe, but slices of stone fruit work well too.  The batter needs to be made the night before.

I've also included a video showing how to practice flipping things in a saute pan.  I put a cup of french lentils into an cold saute pan and practiced flipping over a sink.  Practice before trying to flip your crepes!

Step 1: Materials & Tools

Notes on crepes ingredients

3 eggs (The best eggs are usually smaller eggs, don't use jumbo eggs in this dish.  Jumbo eggs are usually from older chickens.  Eggs from older chickens release water quicker and don't do a good job holding a crepe's structure.  Actually, try to always use smaller eggs, because they really make a difference in all sorts of cooking.)

1 cup whole milk (A good quality whole milk will give your crepes a better texture.  If you're worried about fat, it is possible to replace the milk with 1% milk, but the taste will suffer!)

3 tablespoons melted butter (Again if you're worried about fat, I give you permission to leave this out.)
1/8 teaspoon salt (This can be left out to, but at a cost to flavor.)
3/4 cup cornstarch
1.5 tablespoon Grand Marnier (This can be left out too, but for god's sake!  What's the point?  I some times use whisky in place of Grand Marnier.)


Notes on fruit sauce ingredients

1 cup blueberries (Other fruit can work here.  Take a look at step 6 for possible variations)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter

Cheese Filling
1 8ox box of cream cheese (This can be omit, but adds a pleasant salty flavor.)
1 8oz container of Mascarpone (This is a little expensive.  It is possible to make this recipe with cream cheese only.)


Tools

Non stick frying pan
Whisk
Bowl
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Mason Jar
Knife and cutting board if you are going to use stone fruit
Heat resistant spatula


Step 2: Whisk Together Ingredients for Crepes

To make crepes put butter in a microwavable dish.   Cover dish with paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. 
Put all ingredients in medium sized bowl and whisk.  Pour batter into mason jar and put lid on.  Let batter sit over night in refrigerator.  Use batter the next day.

3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cornstarch
1.5 tablespoons Grand Marnier or 1.5 tablespoons of Whisky

Step 3: Making the Blueberry Sauce

Please note: When you add the whisky to your pan it could create a very cool fireball. A way to decrease the possibility of a fireball, is to remove the pan from the stove before you add the whisky. Once the pan has been removed from the stove, then add your whisky. Return the pan to the stove and continue to cook.

To make the sauce, you will need the following:

1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup Whisky (use a dry peaty variety)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

2 Table spoons of Butter

Get pan hot
Add butter and blueberries
Toss blueberries in butter until they turn dark blue
Add salt, five spice
Remove pan from stove and add whisky (Removing the pan will reduce the possibility of lighting your whisky bottle on fire)
Return pan to stove
Cook a bit more until sauce thickens--Blueberries should be barely cooked and not falling apart

Step 4: Make Crepe

Hopefully you have let your crepe batter sit overnight.  You can skip this step, but it just won't taste as good.

The corn starch will have settled to the bottom of your mason jar.  Use a fork to scrape the corn starch up and mix it back into solution.
Get your non stick frying pan hot
Add a little butter -1 tsp
Add about 1/8 cup batter
Tilt pan to so that batter evenly coats pan
Use a heat resistant spatula to release edges
Flip crepe over when batter begins to look dryer (color will lighten as it cooks)
Slide crepe off onto pan

You're looking for a nice brown on each side of the crepe (see photo)

Step 5: Assemble Crepe

Put 1 tablespoon cream cheese and 1 tablespoon Mascarpone on crepe.  You have to smear it a little.
Spoon 1/8 cup of blueberry sauce on crepe.
Roll crepe and spoon another 1/8 cup of blueberry sauce on top.
Serve crepe warm

Step 6: Variations

There are a few variations of this dish

Replace one cup blueberries with one cup of sliced apples or sliced stone fruit

Saute either the apples or stone fruit
Then add the following:
1/3 cup Whisky
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
1/8 tsp salt

Cook sauce until thickened

Or

You can omit the fruit sauce all together and use a jam or whipped cream