what kind of flour are you using?

What kind of pan are you using? I use a special French 7" pan, and I tilt the pan around quickly when I add the batter so that the crepes come out paper thin. They take only seconds to cook and set almost immediately because they are so thin.

It is possible that your recipe does not have enough liquid. I use rice milk (or water plus rice flour) instead of milk - 3/4 cup cold water, 1 tbsp rice flour, 3 eggs, 3/4 cup regular flour, 2 tbsp melted butter, and 1/4 tsp salt. Usually, mine do not need to be cooked on both sides, but I do turn them over for about 10 seconds.

Lars

I usually (most of the time) use AP flour; sometimes "instant" flour per J. Childs if I don't want to wait. And Lars I use a soley-devoted crepe pan for only that purpose and make them just like you described. I fear that rice milk/and-or water would make them less rich. What makes Swedish pancakes more tender? It's just I wouldn't want the texture that Swed. pancakes have for the crepes.

Try a softer flour...White lily or cake flour. I suspect that and over stirring is making your crepes tougher than you like.

A crepe should be very thin, golden and crisp. It's not supposed to be a soggy, wet thing. The mixture needs to be thin, as has been said.

How many eggs are you using? I used to use Julia's recipe but changed becasue I found hers too much like pasta, I actually use her recipe when I make canneloni.

Now I use 2 eggs to 1 cup flour and find it to be just what I want. The mixture is the consistency of cream.

I use the recipe from Joy of Cooking.

French Crepes

Makes 14 to 16 5-inch crepes. Best when batter is able to sit for a day in the refrigerator. (I have never let it sit. I found this version of the recipe online. My original cookbook says nothing about letting the batter rest before using. Maybe it's helpful, I don't know.)

Ingredients

Sift:
3/4 cup flour

Resift with:
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp double acting baking powder
2 T powdered sugar

Beat:
2 eggs

Add and beat:
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Directions:

Make a well in the sifted ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients. Combine them with a few swift strokes. Ignore the lumps; they will take care of themselves. You may rest the batter refrigerated 3 to 6 hours. Heat a 5-inch skillet. Grease it with a few drops of oil. Add a small quantity of batter. Tip the skillet and let the batter spread over the bottom. Cook the pancake over moderate heat. When it is lightly brown underneath, reverse it and brown the other side. Use a few drops of oil for each pancake.

I have used the recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook for years, although I double the sugar and the vanilla from what the book lists. I also got a process improvement from a former co-worker who was french (beating the eggs separately and extensively). So the recipe as I make it is:

Crepes
makes 8 or 9 10 inch crepes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. In separate bowl beat eggs with hand blender on high for 1 minute. Add egg, milk, butter and vanilla to dry ingredients, beat until smooth. Allow batter to rest for a couple minutes.

Lightly butter non-stick 10" crepe pan (or 12" skillet) and heat it over medium heat until droplets of water dance on the surface.
For each crepe, pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of batter, immediately rotate pan so that batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook until bottom of crepe is lightly browned. Carefully flip crepe and cook the other side.

I've found that allowing the batter to rest several hours in the fridge makes it smoother and easier to deal with. (As I understand it, that's allowing the starch molecules to become evenly hydrated.) Also, a little brandy--a tablespoon or so--beaten into the batter right before you make the crepes will make the crepes lighter and 'lacier'.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Palacsinta (Hungarian Crepes)

Recipe By : Mom
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:10
Categories : Desserts Hungarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch salt
1 cup club soda
1/2 stick sweet butter -- melted
Strawberry preserves
Confectioner's sugar

Mix eggs, flour, milk, sugar and salt to make a smooth pancake dough. Let the dough rest, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 hours. Stir in the carbonated water at the last moment, just before cooking the pancakes. Heat a 9 1/2" crepe pan. When the pan is hot, brush with butter to cover the bottom of the pan.
Pour a ladle (about 1/4 cup) of the batter into the pan and gently tip and twist the pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom of the pan. When the top of the batter bubbles, turn the pancake over and cook for 4 or 5 seconds longer. Remove the pancake. Continue until the batter is all cooked, adding butter before cooking each pancake. Serve by spreading with strawberry preserves (not too much) and rolling up. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
This recipe made 10 crepes. (It makes 12 crepes in an 8" pan - up North)

I would love to hear what you do with the crepes after they are done to "dress them up" for dessert!

Recipes from Sue Gregg:

Apple Walnut Crepes
(4 servings / 2 crepes each)

2 T. melted butter
4 small or 3 med. apples, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
8 t. cinnamon sugar

Place 2-3 T apple filling on one side of crepe; roll up and place seam side down on serving plate. If desired, briefly warm rolled crepes in 300-350-degree oven. uncovered. To serve, top crepes with leftover apple filling and whipped cream.
----------------------------
Lemon Fruit Crepes
(4 servings - 2 crepes each)

Make or purchase lemon pie filling. You will need about 1-1/2 c. (cool) pudding.

Place 3 T. lemon filling on one side of crepe; roll up and place seam side down on serving plate. If desired briefly warm rolled crepes in 300-350-degree F oven, uncovered.

For topping: about 3 c. fresh and/or frozen fruit (strawberries, bananas, peaches, raspberries)

Top each crepe with about 1/3 c. fruit per crepe and whipped cream.
------------------------------

Banana Cream Crepes
(4 servings - 2 crepes each serving)

Make or purchase vanilla pudding (you will need about 1-1/2 c. pudding - cooled). Fold in 1 diced banana.

Make or purchase chocolate sauce.

Place about 3 T. pudding on one side of crepe; roll up and place on serving plate. If desired briefly warm rolled crepes in 300-350-degree F oven, uncovered.

To serve, top crepes with drizzle of chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
-----------------------------------------

Peach-Pineapple Topping/Filling

Chop fruit in small pieces and mix together (plan about 1/2 c. total fruit per crepe). Use fresh or canned unsweetened drained peaches and fresh or canned unsweetened pineapple.

You can take any extra fruit and blend it in the blender for a sauce.

Fill each crepe with the following and roll it up:
3-4 T. chopped fruit
about 1 T. whipped cream, yogurt or sour cream
about 1-1/2 t. finely chopped nuts or sliced almonds

[Grainlady note: if I use sliced almonds I'll also add a little almond flavoring to the fruit.]