It’s Crepe Week! I love these collaborative cooking weeks with my blogging buddies. Having never made crepes before, I’ll admit this one caused me some doubt and anxiety. Then I read the America’s Test Kitchen crepe recipe we chose as our common element, and those doubts evaporated. I’ve said before that I’m a huge fan of America’s Test Kitchen. Why? Because they work diligently to perfect all of their recipes; they do the work so you don’t have to.
For Crepe Week, we’re using this America’s Test Kitchen Crepe Recipe. It’s so adaptable and easy to follow, my fears evaporated when my first crepe came out of the pan. It was perfect. They’re so easy, your French friends will sing your praises with “Vous êtes tellement fabuleux parce que vous pouvez faire des crêpes. Je suis très impressionné!” Translated, that’s “You are so fabulous because you make crepes. I am so impressed!” Now that I know how easy crepes are to make, this could become a regular and delicious thing.
Love to cook? Then I encourage you to register as a user of the ATK website. It’s free, it only takes a second, and you’ll find yourself going there over and over to take advantage of their recipe collection. As a bonus, there’s a video linked to this recipe so you can watch their crepe-making tutorial. They really do think of everything. And now, here’s my contribution to Crepe Week.
Lemon Cream Crepe Cakes for Two
makes two 3″ diameter crepe cakes
For the lemon cream:
one box (5 ozs.) Jell-O Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding Mix
2 cups milk (whole or 2% works best)
1 carton (6 ozs.) lemon-flavored yogurt
1/2 jar (9.5 ozs.) Dickinson’s lemon curd (or your favorite)
In a saucepan, whisk the pudding mix and milk until well blended. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the mixture is thick and smooth; remove from heat and allow to cool completely. To speed up the cooling process, I like to transfer the pudding to a mixing bowl and set it over an ice bath; just whisk often to prevent lumps. Once the pudding is chilled, whisk in the lemon yogurt and half of the jar of lemon curd (4-5 ounces) until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you make the crepes.
For the crepes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoon butter, melted & cooled
a non-stick skillet or crepe pan
1/2 teaspoon of oil for the skillet
I followed the America’s Test Kitchen crepe recipe exactly as it was written. As a crepe novice, I had no intention of playing around with this. The key to perfect crepes is to properly oil and pre-heat the pan for 10 minutes, so don’t skip that part. Mix up the crepe batter and cook as directed. If you don’t have a crepe pan, don’t worry. I used a 10″ non-stick skillet and it worked perfectly. I also prepped 12-14 sheets of waxed paper and stacked my cooked crepes to keep them from drying out. Let the crepes cool completely.
When I finished my crepes, the stack was about 1″ to 1.5″ tall. Since I had envisioned a crepe cake at least 3-4″ tall, this was a problem. And because there are only two of us at home, it made no sense to make 2-3 more recipes for crepes. Two people really shouldn’t eat 36-48 full-size crepes. Instead, I decided to grab my 3″ biscuit cutter and turn my 12 full-size crepes into mini-crepes, as pictured. In my case, that was 3 minis per crepe for 36 total.
Once cut, I layered them in waxed paper again and covered them with a clean kitchen towel to prevent any air from getting to them and drying them out while I assembled the crepe cakes. It actually worked really well, as I could peel off one sheet of waxed paper and work with a few crepes at a time.
With my baby crepes cut and prepped, I was ready to assemble. Removing the lemon cream from the fridge, I gave it one last whisk to add a little air, then I grabbed a spoon from my silverware drawer and dug in for a sample. My eyes then rolled back in my head and I murmured “Man! That is really great stuff!” But that’s not really part of the recipe. :)
Now, layering custard between crepes and stacking them high can be a slippery mess. I was warned of this by another blogger before I started. So with a little forethought and planning, I decided to build my crepe cake on a piece of waxed paper so I could move it easily from my cutting board to my cake plate. I also decided to build each crepe cake inside the same biscuit cutter I used to cut mini-crepes to help keep them straight and tall. It was a good call.
Starting with a baby crepe, I laid it into the mold and made sure it was flat against the waxed paper. I then spooned in one tablespoon of lemon cream and topped it with another crepe. Using a flat-bottomed juice glass, I lightly pressed the crepe into place, working around the edges of the mold just until the crepe was flat and I could see the custard around the edges. The key here was to press gently enough to disperse the custard evenly between the crepe layers, but not so hard that the custard squished out. The juice glass worked perfectly.
Once I hit the top of the mold, I finished with a good layer of lemon cream. I confess – the hardest part of crepe cake construction is controlling the urge to hork down the entire bowl of lemon cream with a big spoon. I kid you not.
Now here’s an important tip: to keep the cakes from collapsing like dominoes when the mold is removed, cut two bamboo skewers about a 1/2″ taller than the crepe cake and pushed them in just off-center. Then put the crepe cake into the refrigerator (still inside the mold) to firm up completely. Before serving, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the mold and lift it off; remove the skewers and top each crepe cake with whipped cream and a fresh slice of lemon. Voilà! Light, lemon lusciousness in single-serve form.
Here’s what I learned:
1.) This was so much easier than I had imagined, and so fun to make!
2.) No biscuit cutter? Use a clean empty can with both ends cut off.
3.) Stacking these higher than 3″-4″ will make them tricky to eat.
4.) Slide these off the waxed paper onto a plate before removing the mold.
5.) You can substitute any filling – other custards, jam, ice cream, etc.
6.) Leftover lemon cream makes excellent popsicles or fro-yo; seriously.
Now, here’s the best part of Crepe Week! Eleven other bloggers are putting up their best crepe creations throughout the week and four will be giving away the following America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks thanks to the fine folks at ATK: the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook, the Baking Illustrated Cookbook, the Family Baking Cookbook, and Simple Weeknight Favorites. Also, be sure to check out the Crepe Pan Giveaway sponsored by King Arthur Flour on Bakeaholic Mama’s blog starting this Thursday. This week promises to be epic, so be sure to follow our Crepe Week shenanigans and enter to win!
Monday:
Kirsten @ Comfortably Domestic (*) – savory Tuscan Crepes
Megan @ Wanna Be A Country Cleaver (*) – sweet Grand Marnier Berry Crepes
Tuesday:
Kat @ Tenaciously Yours – savory Southwest Crepes with Cilantro Pesto
Jeanne @ Inside NanaBread’s Head – sweet Lemon Cream Crepe Cakes for Two
Also on tap as Crepe Week unfolds:
Wednesday:
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain (*) – savory Pork Belly & Mushroom Crepes
Madeline @ Munching in the Mitten – sweet Blueberry Ginger Crepes a la mode
Thursday:
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama (*) – savory Vermonter Ham & Cheese Crepes
Katie @ The Hill Country Cook (*) – sweet Blackberry Orange Crepes
Friday:
Monica @ The Grommom – savory Prosciutto & Asparagus Crepes with Fresh Mango Cream Sauce
Mads @ La Petite Pancake – sweet Strawberry Crepes Au Lait
Saturday:
Allison @ Decadent Philistines – savory Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Crepes
Anne @ From My Sweet Heart – sweet Red Velvet Crepes with Mascarpone
Note: Bloggers hosting Crepe Week giveaways are marked with (*) above.
A very special thank you goes to America’s Test Kitchen for partnering with us for Crepe Week. Their help and support, along with the donation of cookbooks for giveaways has helped make Crepe Week particularly special. As a collective group of superfans, it’s a thrill for us to collaborate with America’s Test Kitchen.
Inside NanaBread's Head 
Shut the front door! I want one for breakfast! I can remember my mom making crepes on Saturday morning and we would add cherry pie filling and sprinkle them with powdered sugar! This wasn’t often, but a very special treat every once in a while. Thanks for bringing back those memories. I will have to try these for my family!
I’ll use anything as an excuse to eat cherries, so count me in for cherry crepes. Maybe we should make fruit crepes for Bunco sometime. With a filling bar. You know how those ladies love anything associated with a bar. {hee hee}
I think that’s a great idea! We just have to gently nudge Kaki away from her chili…
What a lovely and creative way to serve your crepes! Loved reading what you learned from this first time experience in making these.
Thanks, Paula. I have to say, for my first time making crepes, I was stunned at how well these turned out. Proof positive that America’s Test Kitchen totally rocks.
Your experience in using the biscuit mold to stack your crepes will save me much frustration (and maybe a little swearing) in the future. GORGEOUS crepes, Jeanne. Confession: sometimes I make biscuits so that I don’t eat the *entire* jar of lemon curd with a spoon.
Not gonna lie, Kirsten. I have been nibbling away at the other half of that jar for days. I forgot how incredible a good lemon curd can be. You need to try this lemon cream as popsicles. They were AWEsome! Even TCP ate two, and he’s not a popsicle guy.
I can take or leave popsicles, but lemon cream popsicles sound fabulous. I bet that lemon cream would also be awesome in a cream puff, with maybe some blueberry sorbet on the side? Hmmm…It’s a good thing you don’t live next door, or this sort of thing could go on all day, every day. Thus proving that The Compound will be gloriously detrimental to my waistline. ;)
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Wow Jeanne! Je suis très impressionné! For real!!! I have tried to make a crepe cake before. The crepes came out fine. That whole stacking thing had them slipping and sliding all over the plate! These are just gorgeous! I was thinking that next time I should put them in a mould (which I don’t have)….yet I never thought of something so simple as a can! I love a woman who thinks on her feet! Honestly, I am very impressed and your crepe cake is lovely, but it would only serve one…..ME! : )
I get where you’re coming from, Anne. Once you start on this baby, you will NOT want to share. Period. That used can trick is my favorite ‘go to’ when I want to make biscuits, sugar cookies, etc. I keep one can of each size stashed somewhere for just that reason. Usually, my favorite is a small tomato sauce can. It’s a great, versatile size. Also good – a Campbell’s Soup can. Perfect size for biscuits. Just cut off both ends of the can, making sure there are no rough edges, remove the label and wash thoroughly. The best part is if they get banged up or rusty, you can toss them into the recycling bin and start over with a new one.
Gorgeous pictures, Jeanne! I could use a big batch of these babies right now! Crepe Week is epic!
Thanks, Lauren! I appreciate it. And you’re right – Crepe Week IS epic! This one is turning out to be a lot of fun.
Happy Crepe Week, partner!
Truly, I think these snaps are some of the finest I’ve ever seen on your blog (and your snaps are wonderful always). I showed them to my mother and she decided that we should probably be eating these ASAP.
I love that you cut the crepes into minis – that’s a great idea. Everyone loves personalized desserts and the stack looks just gorgeous (and delicious!).
Thanks so much, Kat! I really am trying to learn to take better pics – usually by the old-fashioned method of trial & error. I appreciate the encouragement and support. It’s funny, but I told Kirsten the same thing about her savory crepe photo. :) I hope you and your Mom enjoy these. If you don’t feel like cutting & stacking, these make excellent rolled crepes. Either way, they’re definitely a “Get in my belly!” kind of treat.
I love this idea for serving crepes! When I first saw the picture I thought, “Wait this looks difficult.” But thanks to your great instructions and pictures, I think I will try this!
They’re not difficult at all, Valerie. I was really surprised at how easy it was to put these together. The skewer trick really helps so they don’t slip & slide too much, as does making sure they’re really well chilled. I’m thinking the next time I made these, I might just fill every third layer with raspberry jam. Yum!
For seven consecutive days, you torture me with the picture of your mom’s fudge drops, and now this… you put the Spanish Inquisition to shame!
Heeheehee…. you always make me laugh, Claudia. I had no idea Mom’s fudge drops were such sweet torture. They’re the polar opposite of these crepes, but they’re both delicious. And guess what I found in a local store recently? That’s right – one box of ollibollen mix. YES!!!
These look absolutely delicious! We’re huge fans of crepes and of lemon cream at our house and yet somehow, the two have never met. We’ll have to change that after seeing this. Thanks for the inspiration – they look and sound spectacular.
You definitely need to arrange for crepes & lemon cream to meet. You won’t regret it. Hope you and the girls enjoy them. Let me know, okay?
You bet we will. You’ll probably hear the squeals of joy first!
Jeanne, wow, just wow. I’m so impressed with your elevated crepe cakes! Et, je n’ai pas su que tu parles français aussi!
Hélas, je ne parle pas français mon cher Madelyn. Je sais comment utiliser Google Translate. S’il vous plaît pardonnez-moi! But I’m so happy you loved the crepe cakes! :)
Son of a biscuit eating bulldog!!!! WHAT A FANTABULOUS IDEA JEANNE!!!!!!!!!!! And a great way to use up extra crepes as well, when everyone is stuffed from strawberries, cream cheese, and Nutella :))))
COLOR ME IMPRESSED!!!!
Hahaha…okay, Katie. You win the “Most Enthusiastic Reaction” prize for that one. And not just because you’re a fellow Texan. You literally made me laugh out loud. You make a great point – mini crepe cakes are an excellent way to use up extra crepes. If, indeed, there is any such thing as ‘extra crepes’ at your house. Did you know that if you fill a mini crepe and fold it in half, it becomes a perfect 2-bite treat? It’s like a fun-sized candy bar, only better.
“Son of a biscuit eating bulldog!” I am SO going to try to work that one into conversation. Love it, Katie!
I admit, I screamed.
I mean, I was excited about the words “lemon cream crepe cake” all together. But never could I have imagined this… this… OMGSH I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m seriously drooling and might short out my p8ayegr[08y9q34y09yq34y[09yv-8YQ43Y[08HQ2TG-ARV[8HQY48YSERGO;NW5Y[98YAERGOIWY*********************
Nooooo!!!! Not the p8ayegr[08y9q…whatever you said! Time to invest in a splash guard for that thing. Or a gallon ziploc freezer bag – because that’s how I would roll. So happy I met your #CrepeWeek expectations, Allison!
Oh my…What a darling darling idea!! I love it. I would have never thought of that! I can’t wait to experiment now.
Good work, and great photos too! :)
aloha sistah
Your boys would have a blast with a platter of mini crepes, a platter of fresh Hawaiian fruit, and some custard, whipped cream, or yogurt. You have so many goodies to choose from right in your back yard! Sorry. My jealousy is showing. :)
These are fantastic! What a great idea and a beautiful presentation!!! Fun to make and even more fun to eat. How can you beat that? :)
Thanks, MJ!
I just squealed over this one. Not only do they look super amazing and mouth watering. But they are seriously cute! So glad one of us did a crepe cake!
I can’t stop thinking about other crepe cake fillings now – chocolate, PB & jelly, lemon & raspberry, orange marmalade, Nutella & marshmallow creme, ham & gruyere, spinach & ricotta. Once you start crepeing, I fear it will become an obsession. A fabulous & potentially fattening obsession.
This looks so amazing. Crepes are my favorite food, and I just love them with lemon! I love that you did a mini crepe cake, it’s so perfect looking!
Thanks, Mal! I love lemon, too. It’s a perfect mate for crepes, and the fun-size crepe cake is a perfect way to get your crepe on. Hope you’ll try it!
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Jeanne, You’ve engineered a glorious dessert! The use of the cutter to maximize the crepe yield for taller appeal is spot on (as are your other tips and tricks). Lemon curds and creams have the same “eyes rolling up in the head” effect on me. Bon travail mon ami, câlins de NorCal!
Thanks, Brooks. I appreciate the kind words & support (as always). Je vous remercie, mon ami!
Mmmmm….
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