Crêpes with Mushrooms and Cheese

Crêpes were a staple in my household when I was growing up. We knew them as blinchiki and had them as a simple dessert on weekends smothered in homemade jam or cottage cheese and fresh berries.

We also love crêpes with different savoury fillings like these tasty crêpes with mushrooms and cheese, stuffed and rolled into little wraps which are then seared on both sides in butter and served with sour cream. It is a heaven to bite into one of these with a crispy crêpe shell on the outside and a delicious creamy mushroom filling on the inside.

Watching my mom and grandma make crêpes was a pure joy. It always seemed so effortless. They would mix together an egg with some milk, throw in some flour and a pinch of salt and voila! the perfect stack of crêpes, which can be stuffed with pretty much any filling or enjoyed on their own.

This batter recipe is so easy, you will be making your stack in no time!

These crêpes refrigerate very well. Stuff them and sear in butter as many as you wish, then refrigerate the rest. They would last for several days.

Crêpes Batter:

4 eggs

3 cups milk

1/4 hot boiling water

1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp oil (grape seed, olive, coconut or sunflower)

butter for greasing

Filling:

1 lbs mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed and chopped (about 6 cups of any combination)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 cup swiss cheese, shredded

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter + more for searing

I like to mix all the wet ingredients first and add the flour last. I find that this way I have more control over the thickness of the batter.

So, to make the batter, first, whisk the eggs lightly in a large mixing blow and combine with milk and hot water. Then pour the oil into the mixture. I like a little smell of roasted sunflower seeds in the crepes. I got used to it from my childhood, so I always add in the sunflower seed oil into the batter for that smell and to help them not stick to the pan when they’re frying. However, if the sunflower smell is not your thing, go with the low smell oil like grape seed oil for example.

Add the salt and sugar and whisk the mixture well.

Last but not least, it’s time to start whisking in the flower. I’m using all-purpose gluten free flour, which replaces regular flour cup for cup. Sometimes you’ll find gluten free mixes for pancakes. I would not suggest using these pancake mixes in this application as they typically come with dried milk, eggs and salt/sugar already mixed in, whereas we’re using fresh ingredients for this recipe.

Since all flours are different, especially gluten free kinds, I usually whisk in my flour quarter of a cup at a time until I get to the right consistency. Sift quarter of a cup of flour into the batter and whisk it until there are no more lumps, then add another quarter and repeat until you get the batter to the consistency of latex paint that you use to paint walls in your house. It should be much thinner than the pancake batter, but a bit thicker than plain water. You will use approximately one cup of flour.

I’ve also found that some gluten free flours thicken up slightly after they rest, so leave your batter for 10-15 minutes after you’ve added all the flour and then adjust it if necessary. If the batter is too thick, simply add a little more milk. If it’s too thick – add more flour.

Ready to fry some crêpes? I bet! Preheat a non-stick pan on medium-high heat and grease it with a little knob of butter. When the pan is hot, pour in about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter into one side of the pan and swirl it quickly to cover the entire pan with a thin layer of batter.

Cook the crêpe on one side until no more bubbles are forming and edges are starting to turn golden.

It’s time to flip! If you feel like impressing some ladies, flip it in the air by tilting the pan forward and pushing it up quickly. I’ve only ended up with a few dozen of crêpes on the floor and the walls until I was able to perfect this technique. Just use a spatula, seriously.

It only takes about 30-60 seconds for the crêpe to cook on the other side. Slide it off the pan when done and repeat with the process with the rest of the batter..

To prepare the mushroom filling heat a skillet over medium-high heat with butter and oil. Add chopped onions and brown them for about 5 minutes, then add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the plate and allow to cool down.

Take one crêpe at a time and place a tablespoon of mushroom filling and 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese onto the side of the crêpe. Then flip up the bottom of the crêpe, fold the sides in and roll to make a wrap.

Melt some butter in the pan and sear the crêpes on both sides over low heat for couple minutes and serve warm with sour cream.