Five-Minute Crêpes, Whole Grain and Gluten-Free

When I was little, my mother would make me these for breakfast a few times a week. She called them her Famous Pancakes, staking a claim to a basic crêpe recipe that she must have found in her grease-splattered Joy of Cooking. I remember pulling up a stool to help the minute I saw the flour and eggs on the counter. It was one of the first recipes I learned to master myself, party because there were only three ingredients to remember, and partly because it didn’t involve knives or ovens. (For some reason, cooking over a flame didn’t scare me — a foreshadowing of my destiny?)

The best part about these crêpes is that you can roll them up and eat them without utensils, which came in handy when my brother and I would eat them, dipping them in a puddle of maple syrup, while glued to Saturday morning cartoons. The recipe is flavor-neutral, so you can add a pinch of either salt or sugar, depending on whether you are in the mood for something savory or sweet. Recent fillings that have gone over well around here include cinnamon-sugar, berries and powdered sugar, Nutella, peanut butter and bananas, curried tofu salad with currants and almonds, lightly creamed spinach and mushrooms, and melted mozzarella cheese with diced yellow tomatoes and fresh basil.

When I started experimenting with brown rice flour, I found that not only did the crêpes taste even lighter than the ones I loved as a child, but they were also healthier and gluten-free. Now that this recipe has become a staple in my house, I wanted to share it with all my friends who cook for someone with allergies…and all of you Julia fans who need a quick fix Francais!

For other delicious gluten-free recipes, try Shiitake Mushroom Fries and Summer Corn Puddings.

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