This part of my life began when my very sick partner was diagnosed with Celiac. Even the slightest exposure to gluten can make him very ill for several days, so I have pursued gluten-free options with thorough aggression. In the U.S. a recent surge of gluten awareness means we have more choices than ever, but it still means hunting and analyzing and tracking down parent companies. After several years now of doing so, I want to share my tricks and tips with others who are still struggling.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Recipe Box: Gluten-Free Crepes

I'm finally posting JD's Gluten-Free Crepes!  This is something he adapted from another recipe to work with the GF flour mix we use (below).   We generally eat them for breakfast, ideally with mascarpone cheese and sliced fruit.   Mascarpone can be found in a lot of food stores that sell specialty cheeses.  It's a very sweet, light, Italian cream cheese that tastes like crème fraîche.  The brand we find locally, Belgioioso, is gluten free.  You can also use regular cream cheese, sweetened ricotta, or Neufchatel. 

Gluten-Free Flour Mix:

4 parts white rice flour
3 parts potato or corn starch
2 parts sweet white sorghum flour  (brown rice flour should work, but we haven't specifically tested it)

Measure parts by pouring into a measuring cup or container and use the same container for each "part".   Mix all the parts together very well (we put it in a big container and shake it thoroughly.  It makes a fairly decent "all-purpose) for unleavened uses). 

Crepes

1/2 cup flour [see above for GF flour mix]
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
5/8 cup milk (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) (should work with non-dairy substitutes)

If possible, use a small round nonstick pan with tapered sides, like an omelet pan.

Preheat the pan on medium heat. Dampen a paper towel with vegetable oil and wipe it on the pan to give it a very thin coating.

 Mix all ingredients together. Whip until well blended. Pour just enough batter into the pan to coat the bottom, tipping the pan to spread evenly.  If it doesn't flow well, add milk by tablespoons until it is thin enough.  

Wait for approximately 1 minute, or until crepe is dry and slides easily in pan.  Flip crepe and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  The crepe should still be light and pliant without browning, but may have brittle edges. 

For the visual learners, here's a Youtube video on how to cook the crepes.  Skip past the mixing of ingredients and use the recipe above, but note the texture of the batter and watch how he pours it to coat the pan.

These unfortunately do not store/re-heat well.  By the second day they are very crumbly.  The batter does keep made for up to three days, however, so you can store a container of it in the fridge and use as needed.