Marche des Producteurs de Pays

This week France rather quietly announced that visitors from the U.S. and Canada were allowed to come to the country without any restrictions. Things are still moving in the direction of getting back to normal, and while last year is still sort of a haze to me, I believe the markets in Paris remained open the entire time, operating under different conditions. Outdoor markets are…

This week France rather quietly announced that visitors from the U.S. and Canada were allowed to come to the country without any restrictions. Things are still moving in the direction of getting back to normal, and while last year is still sort of a haze to me, I believe the markets in Paris remained open the entire time, operating under different conditions. Outdoor markets are extremely important in France and, of course, pre-dated les supermarchés which are now everywhere and have more agreeable hours – some are now even open on Sundays, which was controversial when it happened. But the outdoor markets take place six days a week in Paris, and in a country where holidays and vacations, and Sundays, are sacred, they remain open no matter what, even on Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s Day.

The outdoor markets are an integral part of French life and while in Paris there are over 100 marchés alimentaires (food markets), many of the stands are run by négotiants, or middle-men and women, who get their fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, and fish from Rungis, the wholesale market outside of the city. There are many small farms in France but many stay, and sell, only in their regions due to their size. So I’m always happy when I see signs posted about an upcoming Marché des Producteurs de Pays, where you can buy things directly from the growers and producers, who bring their foods to the city.

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Crepes Dentelle cookies (Gavottes)

These may be the best cookies in the world. Okay, they’re not really cookies, per se. At least not in the French sense. Les cookies refers to chocolate chip cookies and these ultra-thin, ultra-crisp, and ultra-buttery tasting crêpes dentelles are so different, yet so good, you’ll find yourself eating your way through several of them in no time. To prove that point, as a courtesy, the…

These may be the best cookies in the world. Okay, they’re not really cookies, per se. At least not in the French sense. Les cookies refers to chocolate chip cookies and these ultra-thin, ultra-crisp, and ultra-buttery tasting crêpes dentelles are so different, yet so good, you’ll find yourself eating your way through several of them in no time. To prove that point, as a courtesy, the company that makes them places two crêpe dentelles in each shimmering foil packet because they know that it’s impossible to eat just one.

The other great thing about these cookies (let’s just go with that, in English), is that you can pick up a box in any French supermarket, yet the cookies are grand and elegant enough so that restaurants in France have no problem serving store-bought cookies to customers. At least I’ve never heard any complaints. French grandparents and others are known to crumble cookies over a dish or bowl of ice cream to dress it up at home. (For the record, I like to think that I still fall into the “others” category – even though a young man offered me his seat on the métro the other day.)

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Food Processor Crepes (aka 2 Minute Crepe Batter)

Food Processor Crepes (aka 2 Minute Crepe Batter)
Crepes are a wonderful way to start out your day. The ultra-thin pancakes are a breakfast favorite of mine, even though they are versatile enough to be served as a savory dish or a sweet dessert. For breakfast, I like to spread them with jam or wrap them …

The post Food Processor Crepes (aka 2 Minute Crepe Batter) appeared first on Baking Bites.

Food Processor Crepes (aka 2 Minute Crepe Batter)
Crepes are a wonderful way to start out your day. The ultra-thin pancakes are a breakfast favorite of mine, even though they are versatile enough to be served as a savory dish or a sweet dessert. For breakfast, I like to spread them with jam or wrap them around sausages and drizzle them with maple syrup. No matter how I’m serving them, I usually opt for my favorite crepe batter recipe: Food Processor Crepes. This crepe batter only takes 2 minutes to prepare in the food processor and makes wonderfully tender crepes that are perfect for just about any preparation.

The recipe is very simple and requires just four main ingredients: flour, milk, eggs and salt. These are kitchen staples that you probably have on hand right now! To make the batter, just combine everything in the food processor and whizz for two minutes, until very smooth. This can be done with a whisk, but the food processor is the quickest and easiest way to ensure that you will have no lumps in your batter.

Once the batter is made, it is ready to use – hence the nickname of “2 Minute Crepe Batter” for this recipe! That said, if you give the batter a little bit of time to rest, the crepes will be even more tender and you’ll avoid having any tiny bubbles pop up in your finished product. 15 minutes of resting time is all you need and it’s a good opportunity to pull together all the toppings you want to use, as well as time to pull our your nonstick pan. You don’t need a crepe pan, but I highly recommend working with nonstick pans to prevent sticking with any crepe batter. You can also rest the batter overnight in the refrigerator and pull it out when you wake up in the morning to make fresh crepes on an even shorter timeline!

Food Processor Crepes (aka 2 Minute Crepe Batter)

You’ll note that in the recipe below, sugar is optional. If I know that my crepes are going to be on the more savory side, I’ll skip the sugar. If I’m planning to make them sweeter, I’ll add it in with the rest of the ingredients. You can also add in other ingredients, such as a few tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs in savory batters or a teaspoon of vanilla for sweet batters, to suit your crepe dish. Play around with this base recipe and you can’t go wrong. And it’s so simple that you’ll find yourself enjoying crepes a lot more often.

Food Processor Crepes (aka 2 Minute Crepe Batter)
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp sugar (optional)

In the food processor, combine all the ingredients for the crepes. Whizz the ingredients together until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer batter to a large measuring cup for easy pouring. The batter should be allowed to rest for 15 minutes, if possible, but can be used immediately. Batter can also be rested in the refrigerator overnight (whisk before pouring, if resting the batter).
Heat a nonstick skillet to over medium high heat and lightly grease with oil or butter.
Pour a small amount (approximately 1/4 cup for a 8 to 10-inch skillet) into the center of the pan, grab the handle of the pan and quickly tilt it, allowing the batter to spread out into an even layer.
Cook the crepe until it is just set on top, about 60-90 seconds, then flip and cook the second side until it is very lightly browned.
Serve crepes immediately, or layer between pieces of wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking if using them to prepare another dish.

Makes about 12 crepes (depending on pan size)

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