If It Isn’t Chocolate, Why Bother? #5

Nope. Those aren’t tortillas. Or “breakfast pinatas” as we usually call them around here. Those are chocolate crepes.

Now, before I get too far into this I must confess, I don’t think my mother ever served up chocolate crepes. This is the same crepe recipe she used, but she served hers with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, which makes a delightful breakfast. However, this is supposed to be a recipe series only about chocolate, and because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my mom would have treasured the chocolate version of this recipe — here we go!

Mama’s Crepes

1½ cups milk
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/8 tsp. salt

You’ll also need:

about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (My favorite brand is Ghirardelli; I slip them inside the warm crepes, and they melt so nicely.)

For the crepes, combine the ingredients (not the chocolate chips, mind you) and beat with a rotary beater until combined. Heat a lightly greased 6-inch skillet. Remove from heat. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of batter, lift and tilt skillet to spread the batter; return to heat. Lightly brown one side. Invert pan over a paper towel and remove crepe.

At this point, slip a few of those chocolate chips in the middle of the crepe and roll it up tight. Let it cool for a bit. Then top with whipped cream and sprinkle with powdered sugar and a smidge of cocoa.

In our house, we use both Redi-Whip and homemade whipped cream, depending on what’s in the refrigerator and how early in the day the crepe-making happens. Here’s the homemade whipped cream recipe I use.

Homemade Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a chilled bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat with chilled beaters of an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Serve with pie. Makes 2 cups.

Also, if your garden is overflowing with berries, I’m sure these crepes would serve up nicely with them. We especially enjoy strawberry or raspberry crepes — don’t forget the whipped cream and powdered sugar.

Be sure to check out the other chocolate recipes in this series entitled “If It Isn’t Chocolate, Why Bother?”