Crêpes with Strawberries, Orange Syrup, and Whipped Cream

My youngest daughter adores pancakes, but I hate making them....for some reason, I can't seem to avoid burning at least half the pancakes. Better suited to my attention span are crêpes....with endless options for flavors and fillings, these pastries can be adapted for any palate.

I filled these with fresh strawberries (yes, again with the strawberries!). They are topped with a simple syrup made from orange juice, freshly whipped cream, and more strawberries. This recipe makes nine crêpes, but can easily be doubled/tripled/etc. to fit your needs.

Crêpes (sweet variety)

Ingredients:

1 large egg

6 tbs milk

2 tbs orange juice

2 tbs water

1/2 c flour

1 tbs sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tbs butter, melted

non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients except cooking spray until very well combined (alternatively, you can use a blender for this step!). Refridgerate batter at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour 3 tbs of batter into the center of the pan and tilt pan to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds, flip, and cook for an additional 10 seconds. Remove crêpe and place on a flat surface to cool. Repeat until all batter is gone, placing in a single layer to cool (do not stack until after they have cooled!). Fill with ingredients of choice. Makes about 9 crêpes.

I used about a cup of sliced strawberries for the filling of 8 crêpes (the ninth crêpe jumped to its death as I attempted to remove it from the pan).

Orange Syrup

Ingredients:

1/3 c orange juice

1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cardamom

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan over med-low heat. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened (about 15 min). Drizzle over crêpes, ice cream, pound cake, or fresh fruit. Makes about 1/3 c of syrup.

Fresh Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 c heavy cream

2 tbs sugar

Directions:

Beat ingredients together until desired consistency. Makes about 1/2 c whipped cream.