Crepes Normande w/ Creme Fraiche : Fruits and Veggies Monday

Hola friends!

So sometime last week a friend of mine and I were talking about Crêpes. Apparently I have never had a crepe before so he was explaining a few of his favorite varieties. One of them stood out to me though because it was filled with fruit and drizzled with a creme fraiche (obviously it was French).

I love sweet treats and if they are homemade then I’m in heaven. I also love a challenge and took our seemingly innocuous conversation about Crêpes as an excuse to veganize and gluten free-anize (is that a word🤷🏼‍♀️) my friend, @edprivat ‘s, favorite kind- Crepes Normande w/ Creme Fraiche (said in heavy heavy French accent here). By the way, Ed is our favorite vocal artist here on Steemit. His last post, Superfreestyle, is super groovy. Nailed it!!

Thank God for #fruitsandveggiesmonday or else I’m not sure I would be filled with the same motivation to create things in anticipation of sharing with all of you. Thanks @lenasveganliving for hosting such a rad event to kick off the week.

Crepes Normande w/ Creme Fraiche

Have you ever tried to make a crepe before? My gosh, it’s a lot of work. Not necessarily mixing up the batter but everything else that goes alone with it.

These crepes have a couple components so bare with me. You’ve got the Apple pie filling (which I served on top), the “creme fraiche” (which I made into more of a cream cheese served on the inside) and of course the crepe itself.

Trying to flip a crepe once it’s cooked enough on one side is an adventure all on its own. I failed miserably with the first two, regrouped and attacked the third with a little more finesse and like magic I was crepe-ing my way to a breakfast master piece.

Thanks again for the challenge @edprivat 😉

Crepe Batter

1 Cup gluten free flour
2 Cups almond milk (maybe more)
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup

I know there is coconut milk pictured but I saved that for the Creme Fraiche

Start by putting 1.5 cups of cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

With your flour in a large bowl add your almond milk slowly. I added about 1/3 Cup at a time whisking thoroughly before adding more. The goal is to get all of those flour clumps to soak up the milk.

Once that’s good and whisked add your maple syrup and coconut oil.

Set aside and let’s start on them apples :)

Apple Pie Filling

3 apples (diced)
3 Tbsp vegan butter (I use Good Earth)
3 Tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

I employed the strength of my very special helper, so I wouldn’t grate my finger off, and chopped my apple slices from there.

Three apples might seem like a lot but trust me, you’ll use them. Once diced toss the apples in a frying pan with the vegan butter.

Over medium heat cook the apples until they begin to soften.

Add your cinnamon and coconut sugar mixing well then take them off flame and set them aside with the lid on to maintain the tempature.

Creme Fraiche

1.5 Cups cashews (boiled for 30 minutes)
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1/4 Cup coconut cream
3 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Grab your freshly boiled (softened) cashews and rinse them well. Because I use a blender and not a food processor, I divide my cashews into six piles. This is to help my blender along so I get the smooth consistency I desire.

Put everything in the blender and add only one of your cashew piles. Then blend.

Keep adding cashew piles until it’s all blended and smooth.

Set in the fridge to let it harden a bit. This is going to be the crepes filling.

Now for the moment of truth… heat up a pan with a little oil or vegan butter until it’s nice and hot. Take the pan in one hand off of the flame while pouring a medium size spoonful of batter into the center. Make small circular motions with your wrist to create the shape of a round crepe.

Put back on the flame and wait 3-4 minutes to flip.

I ran into a couple problems here. First, my batter was so thin that it ran to the outer edges of the pan. This would be fine if I was a crepe flipping savant but I am not so I was already nervous about the upcoming flip.

With good reason because those are two failed attempts you’re looking at there. Pitiful looking crepes 🤦🏼‍♀️

Now I must re think my strategy. First, I search my cupboards for any hidden artillery to help assist me in this situation, and what do I find…? My long lost love of ground flax seed.

Add 1 Tablespon of ground flaxseed to the batter and let it sit for three minutes. This waiting period gave me ample opportunity to get a head start on some of the dishes I’ve racked up.

So with the new thickness (by thickness I mean slightly thicker than before but by no means as thick as a pancake mix) I confidently grab my heated and freshly oiled frying pan and deliberately drop a semi medium spoonful of batter into the center.

I waited 4 full minutes before yielding my sword, aka cheap plastic spatula from target and flipping that bad boy like it’s never been flipped before. No really, I used a fork in one hand and a spatula in the other to caress and finess the stubbornness out of Mrs. Crepey so she would calmly and elegantly turn over for me.

Although this wasn’t the prettiest of the group it showed much potential for the crepes that would come after.

I put the Apple pie filling on a hot flame again to heat them up before serving. After making three successful and prettier versions of the first crepe, I began the plating process.

Take your Creme Fraiche out of the refrigerator and spread a healthy amount inside your crepe like you would cheese to a quesadilla.

Take 3-4 spoonfuls of Apple Filling and spread them over top your crepes.

Now cut a strawberry and sprinkle some pomegranates to line the perimeter of your plate and taaadaaa… you’ve just made Crepes Normande my friend.

Disclaimer: we fully enjoyed these sweet tooth quenching treats but consequently rode a sugar high and ultimate crash from all of the sugar. This was fine because it was on a Sunday where we can do things like take a nap or whatever else the hell we want to do so no biggie. However next time this will be our dessert rather than our breakfast for sure.

Thank you so much for hanging out with me on a Monday folks. And Ed, you rock, not just because you’re a rockstar but because you challenge both @dandays and I to continue pushing the limits of our artistic abilities. That’s a very cool trait to have my friend.

Pura Vida ✌️