We would busy ourselves in the kitchen, but I insisted that the customer who had ordered the treat wake up the breakfast recipient before we strangers appeared at the bedroom door.
Our busiest days were Valentine's Day and, of course, Mother's Day.
These crepes are a bit more sophisticated than the crepes from my Austin days. The sauce, made by simmering raspberries in a rose-scented, cassis-spiked syrup, is what makes them special. While most of it is poured over the folded crepes, a bit is added to the yogurt, honey and lime filling, making it just sweet enough.
You can make the sauce a day or two ahead, or while the crepe batter is resting. The crepes can also be made ahead and reheated in a low-temperature oven. Or fill and top the crepes as you make them, and deliver the first two to Mom.
Crepes With Raspberry-Cassis Sauce
Time: About 1 hour, plus 30 minutes' resting
Yield: 6 servings
For the crepes:
1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters low-fat milk, such as skim or 1 percent
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon/15 grams sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon/55 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon/55 grams whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for the pan
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest (from about 1/2 lime)
For the raspberry sauce and garnish:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon rose water
1 6-ounce box raspberries (about
1 1/4 cups)
1 tablespoon creme de cassis liqueur
For the yogurt filling:
1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters plain Greek yogurt (2 percent fat)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon mild honey, such as clover or acacia (more to taste)
1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (from about 1/2 lime)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (to taste)
For the garnish:
1 6-ounce box raspberries (about
1 1/4 cups)
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1. To make crepe batter, place milk, eggs, salt and sugar in blender. Turn on and, with the motor running, add flours, then melted butter and blend at high speed for one minute, until well mixed and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir in lime zest, cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes. If resting batter longer, refrigerate. (Whisk again before making crepes.)
2. While batter is resting, make raspberry sauce. Combine 1/3 cup water and sugar in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in rose water, raspberries and cassis liqueur. Return to heat, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the mixture into a bowl. Press the raspberry pulp through strainer with a spatula and discard seeds. Whisk or stir to blend pulp and syrup and set aside.
3. Make the yogurt filling: In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, honey, lime zest and juice. Taste and adjust sweetness. Set aside.
4. To make crepes, heat 8-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium-high heat and brush lightly with butter. Pan must be hot when you add crepe batter. Lift pan off heat and pour or ladle in a scant 1/4 cup batter, enough to thinly coat bottom of pan. Tilt and swirl pan to distribute batter in an even layer. Return pan to heat and cook crepe for about one minute, until edges color and bottom of crepe is lightly browned. Crepe should not stick to pan. Flip crepe over and cook for 30 seconds on the other side, until speckled. Turn out onto a plate. Continue with remaining batter, brushing pan occasionally with butter if desired.
5. If you want to serve crepes at their hottest, assemble them as they come out of the pan. Spread a rounded tablespoon of the yogurt mixture over each crepe, drizzle on 1/2 teaspoon raspberry sauce, fold crepe in half and then in half again. Place on plate or platter. When all crepes are made and filled, spoon or pour sauce over, garnish with raspberries, and, if desired, dust with powdered sugar. Serve.
Note: Crepes can be made ahead and filled and reheated in a 250-degree oven for 20 minutes before being topped with sauce.
© 2015 New York Times News Service