Cocoa Crepes

Wow! So easy; so good!

For some reason I got a bee in my bonnet about making crepes with cocoa powder, and I thought that in that case they wouldn't need much flour. Maybe I could keep them gluten-free? Potato starch occurred to me as a possibility, and a little research showed that crepes made with potato starch are very common as a dish for passover, although I didn't see any made with cocoa powder.

Well, these were the easiest crepes to lift and flip that I have ever made! Even the first crepe came out perfect, and usually the first crepe is the chef's lumpy, broken sample.

I didn't add any sugar; I figured sweetness can come from the filling. I suspect you could get away with adding a few tablespoons of sugar if you really want to though.

In spite of the fact that there are 3 crepes on the plates in the photo, in most cases 1 or 2 will make a more than sufficient serving - maybe if you are having them for breakfast 3 is not ridiculous. It also depends how much filling you put in them, and what it is. I can think of all kinds of ways to serve these. I think in strawberry season I will just fill them with berries and pass the butter and maple syrup.

6 to 8 crepes (4 to 6 servings)
30 minutes prep time

1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups 1% or 2% milk
4 large eggs
approximately 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

Sift the potato starch, cocoa powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk, half at a time. Whisk in the eggs very thoroughly, one at a time.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Use paper towel to brush a thin layer of oil all over it. When the pan is hot, ladle in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter (depending on the size of your pan). Quickly tilt the pan to cover the bottom completely with the batter. Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, then carefully lift it and flip it; cook the other side for just a minute or so. Remove the finished crepe to a plate.

Repeat with the remaining batter until all the crepes are cooked.

Serve warm or at room temperature; crepes can be filled, rolled or folded, and reheated in a lightly oiled skillet. Or not. Fill with ice cream, custard, fruit salad, etc; or serve with maple syrup, honey, fruit, or whatever seems good to you. I mixed 1 cup (250 ml) cream cheese thinned with a couple tablespoons of milk, with 1 cup (250 ml) cherry jam which did the trick nicely.




Last year at this time I made Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions.

Posted in: Ontario Food