Crêpes with Lemon and Sugar (French Crêpes au Sucre et au Citron)

A very simple recipe of lemon and sugar on crêpes can be found all over France as a dessert or snack.

Crêpe:
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (185 g)
3 eggs, slightly whisked
1 cup milk (250 mL)
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
warm water, to thin out batter
vegetable oil or butter for brushing the pan

Topping:
1 large lemon, freshly zested
1 large lemon, freshly squeezed
confectioners' or granulated sugar

Place the flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center with your fingers. Place the eggs, milk, sugar and salt into the well. Using a whisk, gradually draw the flour into the center, trying to prevent any lumps from forming.

Continue to gradually draw in the flour, until the mixture is well incorporate and smooth.

Add the melted butter to the batter, and whisk well to combine and smooth-out the batter. At this point, there should be no lumps and it should be a slightly thick batter (think pancake batter - you will thin it out below).

Cover the mixture with saran wrap and set-aside on your counter for 1-2 hours, to allow the mixture to rest.

Meanwhile, zest and juice your lemons and set-aside.

When the batter is ready, prepare your station by placing your bowl of batter, your spatula, icing wand, oil and pastry brush, and clean plate beside your stove. You want everything handy.

Thin out your crêpe batter by adding warm water, bit by bit. You want your batter to be the consistency of a light cream, so it should just coat the back of a spoon, but no thicker.

Begin by heating your pan over medium-high heat (around setting 8). Grease the pan with vegetable oil, if using.

Using a measuring cup, pour about 1/3 cup of batter into your hot pan and immediately Tipthe pan around in all directions to cover the bottom of the pan. If you have too much batter, pour it off - you want the crêpes to be paper-thin. Using your spatula/icing wand, gently skim the surface of the crêpe to even out the batter.

(Do not worry if you ruin your first crêpe or if it doesn't work, apparently it is the myth that the first one never works out, no matter what you do!)

When the outside edges are brown (about 2 minutes), flip the crêpe gently and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Remove the crêpe from the pan and immediately top with a sprinkle of sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice (if you want the extra tang). Fold the crêpe as the picture above shows, or roll it. Serve and devour immediately.

Repeat with remaining batter. Don't forget to grease the pan between each crêpe.

Makes 15 crêpes.

Cook's Notes: If you are making these for a group, you can keep them warm under foil while you prepare the others.