Sweet Crespelle (Italian Crêpes)

A stack of crespelle

David Marsden / Getty Images

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Resting Time: 60 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings

Crespelle are paper-thin pancakes, the Italian equivalent of France's crêpes, and just like the French version, they can be either sweet or savory. This recipe is for simple, sweet crespelle that can be served with the topping or filling of your choice: Nutella, dark melted chocolate, fresh fruit such as strawberries or bananas, chestnut cream, mascarpone or ricotta cream, zabaglione, jam, etc. 

To make this into a savory version, omit the sugar and alcohol and slightly increase the amount of salt. In that case, you can use any number of savory fillings; for example, spinach and ricotta, the same filling that might be used for cannelloni.

Though the dish now has a certain aura of elegance to it, in the past these thin pancakes were considered poor people's food. The change came in 1895, when famed restauranteur Henri Carpentier, then a teenage assistant waiter at Montecarlo's Café de Paris, accidentally ruined pancakes meant for the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII. Edward suggested this delicious new preparation be named after his young friend, thereby creating Crêpes Suzette.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 large egg yolks, reserve 1 egg white

  • 2 tablespoons sugar, optional for sweet crespelle

  • 1 pinch salt, or 1/2 teaspoon for savory crespelle

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup cold milk

  • 1 shot brandy, optional for sweet crespelle

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Beat egg and yolks together with sugar and salt, then incorporate flour and slowly add milk, so as to obtain a creamy batter.

  3. Whip reserved egg white to moderately firm peaks and carefully fold in liquor, then fold mixture into batter. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and fold into batter. Let batter sit in a cool place for at least 1 hour.

  4. When ready to proceed, heat crêpe pan over medium heat. Melt remaining butter and lightly brush crêpe pan.

  5. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the center of pan and distribute evenly by tilting pan. Cook for a couple of minutes, then flip crespella over and cook for a couple of minutes more. Don't let it get too brown.

  6. Continue until batter is finished, stacking the finished crespelle on a plate and covering with a cloth to keep them warm.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
71 Calories
2g Fat
9g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 71
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 50mg 17%
Sodium 33mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 55mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)