Classic French crepes that are light in texture, slightly crisp on the edges and delicious all-around! Filled with a lemon curd that packs a zesty punch, this recipe will urge you to make this for brunch in the comforts of your home
French crepes are quite the lacy delicacy, with delicate and crispy edges, and a soft and warm surface tempting you to dive right in. Crepes are the perfect treat for times when you want an indulgent breakfast or brunch. Oh, never mind the time of day! Fill them up with your choice of savoury filling and they make a filling lunch or dinner option as well. I lean on the side of sweet, and in this recipe, I filled up these delicate crepes with a zesty and full-bodied lemon curd that I find complements the crepes perfectly.
Making the batter for French Crepes:
The batter took me some attempts to get right. To start with, the batter shouldn’t be too thick or thin…. think heavy cream consistency, and not pancake batter consistency. Make sure the batter has no lumps. I’ll let you in on what I learnt as an important takeaway: letting the batter rest for up-to an hour at least or leave it overnight in the fridge. This allows for the gluten in the batter to relax and the starch has enough time to absorb liquid and expand.
Cooking the French Crepes:
Heat up your pan on medium heat and add half a teaspoon of butter to it. Make sure the butter doesn’t brown. When the pan is evenly heated, make your first test crepe by pouring in some batter. Swirl the batter around until it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. The batter shouldn’t set just as you pour it in the pan…this indicates the pan is too hot. You know your crepe is done when the edges start to turn brown and crisp up ever so slightly. Transfer the crepe onto a plate gently with a spatula.
Making the Lemon Curd:
Lemon curd is such a delightful treat! I love its tangy, full-bodied zesty-sweet flavour and find that it makes for the perfect filling for crepes. I used regular lemons, but you can use Mayer lemons as well. Lemon juice and zest (don’t skip the zest!), eggs, butter and sugar cooked together on low heat until it all comes together to form this delightful spread. Make sure you strain the cooked curd before you spoon it into jars and let cool. Lemon curd keeps well in the fridge for a week (if you can resist it for that long!).
To serve, spread a teaspoon of lemon curd on your crepe and roll or fold your crepe. Dust a little powdered sugar on top if you prefer, or top with your favourite fruit, my personal favourite being strawberries. Brunch never looked better!
Easy French Crepes with Lemon Curd
Ingredients
Crepes (makes 8-10 crepes):
- 100 grams white flour
- Salt a pinch
- 2 eggs
- 300 ml milk use full-fat
- 50 grams melted butter cooled plus a little extra for cooking the crepes
For the lemon curd:
- 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks
- 150 grams sugar
- 80 grams or 1/3 cup butter at room temperature
- Zest and juice of 2 whole lemons
Instructions
To make the crepes:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and the milk and beat gently. Once combined, add the flour a little at a time and whisk in intervals until well combined. Add the melted butter and salt and whisk gently.
- Let the batter rest for one hour or up to a day in the fridge.
- To cook the crepes, melt a teaspoon of butter in a non-stick pan (or a seasoned cast iron pan) on medium heat. Pour in a ladle of batter and swirl it around so that the batter evenly coats the base of the pan. Let the crepe cook until the edges just begin to turn a golden brown. I like to check the doneness of the crepe by lifting it gently with a silicone spatula. If it self-releases (which takes around 1 minute), it is ready to be flipped. Let it cook on the other side for just under a minute and turn over the crepe on a plate.
- Add more butter to the pan and continue to cook the rest of the crepes.
To make the lemon curd:
- Whisk the eggs and yolks together in saucepan or pot. Place the pan on the stove and bring to a low heat. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest.
- Using a whisk, gently whisk the ingredients until the sugar is almost dissolved.
- Add the butter and continue to whisk, on low heat until the mixture thickens. This should take around 7-10 minutes. Once the lemon curd has thickened, turn off the heat and take the pan off the stove.
- Strain the curd through a sieve and transfer to a glass jar. You can keep it refrigerated for upto 2 weeks.
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For more breakfast and brunch recipes, take a look at:
Bread rolls with feta and sun-dried tomatoes
The lemon curd just makes these crepes even more amazing!
So glad you liked the combination!
I'm 100% making these on the weekend! Thanks for making it look so easy!!
thank you so much Chris!
I loved how simple these were to make but how elegant they came out! Love the lemon flavor! Just perfect!
thank you Suzy!
It's been a while since I've tried crepes, I think I need to give them another go and the lemon curd is perfect!
Glad you liked the combination!
These crepes look so good! And that lemon curd! I haven't had crepes in a long time - maybe I'll make a batch this weekend!
Well, here in CA we're all having a bumper lemon crop and everyone's sharing the bounty. I'm testing several lemon curd recipes. I didn't make this in a saucepot but rather in a glass bowl sitting on top of a pot of simmering water (a DIY double-boiler). Your recipe is the winner!!! Tonight, for dessert, it's lemon curd crepes w/sliced strawberries & a light dusting of powdered sugar!!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I like the idea of using a double boiler - that would ensure no curdling of the eggs. Lucky that you have had a bumber crop this year! Enjoy!