Store-Cupboard Crêpes with Lemon and Sugar

When the fridge looks bare, there’s usually still enough milk, eggs and plain flour to make a decent batch of thin, buttery crêpes. A little lemon juice and caster sugar are all you need to finish them.

Easy Store-Cupboard Crêpes

Makes: 10–12 crêpes (in a 20–24cm / 8–9½in pan) · Prep: 10 minutes, plus optional resting · Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g (1⅔ cups) plain/all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 500ml (2 cups plus 2 tbsp) milk
• Pinch of salt
• 25g (2 tbsp) melted butter, plus a little extra for the pan
• Caster/superfine sugar, to serve
• Fresh lemon wedges, or bottled lemon juice if that’s what you have

Method

1. Put the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs.
2. Whisk in the milk gradually until the batter is smooth and the consistency of single cream. Whisk in the melted butter.
3. Rest for 15–30 minutes if you have time, or cook straight away if everyone is hungry. Stir again before cooking and add a splash more milk if it has thickened.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and lightly butter it.
5. Pour in a small ladle of batter, quickly tilting the pan to coat the base in a thin layer.
6. Cook for about 45–60 seconds, until the underside is lightly golden and the edges lift. Flip and cook the second side for another 20–30 seconds.
7. Sprinkle with caster sugar and squeeze over lemon juice. Fold in half, then in half again to make a triangle. Layer the folded crêpes on a warm plate and repeat.

The Story Behind the Recipe

Crêpes are one of my favourite fallback recipes. Even when there doesn’t seem to be much in the house, we’ve almost always got eggs, milk and enough plain flour to make a decent batch. And when there are no fresh lemons, there’s usually a bottle of lemon juice in the cupboard or fridge. With a little caster sugar, they’re delicious.

I tend to fold each crêpe into a triangle and layer them on a plate, although it’s almost impossible to build up much of a stack. They disappear as quickly as I can cook them. There doesn’t seem to be a limit to how many everyone can eat, and I’m lucky if I manage to get a couple for myself at the end.

They’re lovely simply served with lemon and sugar, but if you fancy something more indulgent, you can turn them into a quick take on crêpes Suzette.

A Quick Crêpes Suzette-Inspired Variation

Melt 40g (3 tbsp) butter with 3 tbsp caster sugar in a frying pan. Add 120ml (½ cup) orange juice and a little finely grated orange zest, if you have it, and simmer for a few minutes until slightly syrupy. Fold four cooked crêpes into triangles and warm them through in the sauce. A squeeze of lemon lifts the flavour. This is a simple alcohol-free version inspired by the classic, rather than a traditional crêpes Suzette.

Before You Shop

Check the cupboard for flour, sugar and bottled lemon juice, and the fridge for eggs and milk. Fresh lemons are lovely but not essential. Leftover crêpes can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to two days, or frozen with baking parchment between them. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Before you shop, see what you already have.