March Recipies

From our Home to Yours Enjoy The ZoselHarper Team’s Spring Family Recipes

Crepes

Crepes are will make an amazing breakfast, brunch, and even dinner! You are able to make even the pickiest eater ask for more! Some of my favorite fillings are bananas and Nutella, fresh fruits, condensed milk and you can make them savory too! Saute ground beef with onion and enjoy! 

Ingridients:

• 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, plus 3-4 more Tablespoons for the pan
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour 
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
• 1/2 cup (120ml) room temperature water
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Overview: How to Make Crepes

1. Melt the butter: Melt some butter in the microwave or on the stove. Let it cool for a few minutes before using in the batter. (Otherwise, you could scramble the eggs.)
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender: Add the cooled melted butter and all the remaining ingredients into a blender. A blender works WONDERFULLY to smooth out the batter because it cuts that flour perfectly into all the wet ingredients. If you don’t have a blender, just use a mixing bowl and whisk. I use a Blender.
3. Chill the batter: Chill the crepe batter for at least 30-60 minutes before cooking it. This time in the refrigerator is crucial to the taste, texture, and success of your crepes. Use this time to clean up and get your skillet ready. You can even chill the batter overnight so it’s ready to cook the next day.
4. Butter & heat a small skillet: Generously butter the pan and keep butter nearby for greasing the pan between each crepe too. Though professional chefs may use a specialty crepe pan, I find a small 8″ pan works perfectly at home. If you don’t have a small skillet, use a larger one but make sure you keep the crepes THIN.
5. Cook crepes one at a time: The longest part of this recipe is standing over the stove and cooking them one at a time over medium heat. Use only 3-4 Tablespoons of batter per crepe. (I usually use 3 Tablespoons.) The less you use and the larger you stretch the crepe, the thinner they’ll be. As you can see in my video tutorial above, I twirl the pan so the batter stretches as far as it can go. If you don’t do this, your crepes will be pretty thick and taste like tortillas. Still delicious, but very different. Flip the crepe over and cook the other side, too.
6. Serve with favorite fillings: I love serving them warm with cold whipped cream and fresh berries. Keep scrolling because I have lots of filling ideas listed for you below.

Instructions

• Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in the microwave or on the stove. Cool for about 5 minutes before using in the next step. The remaining butter is for the skillet.
• Combine the cooled melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, water, eggs, and vanilla to a blender or large food processor.  If you don’t have a blender or food processor, use a large mixing bowl and whisk by hand. Blend on medium-high speed for 20-30 seconds until everything is combined. The mixture will be silky smooth and the consistency of cream. Cover the blender tightly or pour into a medium bowl, cover tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes and up to 1 day. (After refrigerating, if the batter looks separated, give it a quick stir before cooking in the next step.)
• Cook the crepes: Use the remaining butter for greasing the pan between each crepe. Place an 8-inch skillet over medium heat and generously grease it with some of the reserved butter. If you don’t have a skillet this size, use a larger one but make sure you keep the crepes thin. Once the skillet is hot, pour 3-4 Tablespoons (closer to 3 is best) of batter into the center of the pan. Tilt/twirl the pan so the batter stretches as far as it will go. The thinner the crepe, the better the texture. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip as soon as the bottom is set. Don’t wait too long to flip crepes or else they will taste rubbery. Cook the other side for 30 seconds until set. Transfer the cooked crepe to a large plate and repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to butter the pan between each crepe. If desired, separate each crepe with parchment paper so they do not stick together. Though, if using enough butter in your pan, the crepes won’t stick.
• Fill the crepes. I love serving them warm, but they’re excellent at room temperature too. See my filling suggestions above this recipe or my recipe notes below. Place a few spoonfuls of your filling ingredient(s) in the center of the crepe. Fold both sides over the filling. Crepes are delicious with toppings, too, such as a drizzle of melted chocolate, melted peanut butter, or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Or a savory sauce like pesto or hollandaise.
• Leftover unfilled crepes remain fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 day or in the freezer for 1 month. Freeze each between small sheets of parchment paper so they don’t stick. (I usually layer them with parchment and freeze in a large zipped-top bag.) Thaw at room temperature before filling/enjoying. See reheating instructions in my Make-Ahead Instructions recipe note below.

Apple Sponge cake

Apple Sponge cake is so easy and almost effortless to make, this 4 ingredient “pie/cake” will be your favorite to go with that cup of coffee in the morning. 

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large apples
• powdered sugar for dusting

I know right, this is all you need? Yummmmmm! I may have to come back to read the rest of this newsletter! 

Tips for Making Sharlotka

• Use a Springform Pan – Using a spring pan means no tricky flipping! This cake is quite delicate, so using a springform will circumvent any issues with inverting it and losing its shape. 
• Overmixing is a No-No! – Sharlotka is supposed to be light and airy. Overmixing the batter will make the cake dense and tough. Simply fold the flour in gently to your egg and sugar mixture until it is well incorporated.
• Let your Eggs Reach Room Temperature – Pull your eggs out of the fridge about 15 minutes before your start prepping your cake. Room temperature eggs are less viscous than cold ones and beat much better. Cold eggs can also cause your cake to cook unevenly. 
• Use a Hand Mixer – When beating together your eggs and sugar, speed is key in getting the perfect texture and volume. It’s hard to achieve this by hand, so use your hand mixer or kitchen aid Slice Apples Thinly for A Different Texture – If you want your cake to be a bit more uniform, slice your apples thinly. I like to slice them chunky for texture, but either way is fine! 

Instructions

• Wash, peal and dice apples into one inch pieces.
• Using a mixer, beat eggs with sugar, until it’s three times in volume.
• Using a spatula, fold in flour by thirds; be very gentle with thedough, to not overmix it and lose the fluffiness.
• Lay out the diced apples on the bottom of a 9 inch pan. Cover apples with cake batter, shake the pan a bit, to spread batter between each apple piece.
• Bake it at 350F for 40 minutes, check using a wooden toothpick. If the cake is ready, the dough should not stick to the toothpick.
• Once the cake cools off a little, turn it over with the bottom up and dust with some powdered sugar.