Pancakes, Waffles & French Toast

1. Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center and add 1 1/3 cups of the milk. Using a whisk, gently pull flour into liquid until mixture has few lumps and batter is thoroughly mixed. It's important to mix crepes as little as possible, so they'll cook up light.

2. Lightly whisk in egg, the remaining 2/3 cup milk, melted butter, and 1/4 cup water. Whisk just to incorporate liquids. Batter will not be perfectly smooth, as the melted butter will solidify into little beads, but it will cook up just fine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit, away from heat, for 1 to 3 hours.

3. When ready to cook crepes, tear off 21 sheets of waxed paper, each about 8 inches across. Whisk batter. It should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it's too thick, thin out with additional water, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. butter in a medium nonstick or cast iron pan with sloped sides. When butter bubbles vigorously, pour in 2 Tbsp. of batter. Grasping handle of pan, move batter around using a circular motion, spreading a thin layer to cover bottom of pan. Crepe should be 6 to 8 inches across. After a few crepes, you'll get the hang of this step; the pan needs to be coated quickly. The first crepe is usually a throw away. Cook over medium heat until top of crjpe appears almost dry and has no bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Crepe will glisten a bit, and the underside will have some brown patches. It will not be all browned, like a pancake. Flip crepe with a spatula and cook just until the bottom resembles leopard skin, about 1 minute. You probably won't need to butter the pan after the first crepe or two.

4. Transfer finished crepes to a plate, stacking them with waxed paper between each layer. If filling crepes in the next hour or two, you can leave them out, covered with waxed paper. Otherwise, refrigerate for use later that day, or freeze for later use. When ready, add filling of your choice.

Variation: For dessert crepes, add 3 Tbsp. sugar with the flour.

Suggestions: Milk can be 2% or whole. May need additional salted butter and water.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, May - June 2008