Vegan cocoa crepes with pear and almond masala chai spices topping

--> recette en français

    After the Christmas yule log cakes and other treats, in France, we have a busy food calendar. In January, we enjoy French kings cakes (called "galettes des rois") for the Epiphany, which is a sort of large flaky puff pastry filled with frangipane (home made almond cream mixed with custard). You hide a lucky charm inside and the one who finds it when eating the galette des rois is said to be the king and can wear a paper crown and chose his queen (reverse way of course if it's a woman). Some traditions also say that the one who finds the lucky charm has to buy the galette des rois the following year.


   Anyway, after this very light pastry in January, we enjoy crepes in February for Candlemas (the "Chandeleur"), crepes are very typical in France and especially in Brittany but I have to say, I make crepes all year long, as soon as I'm craving some for snack, breakfast or dessert. And so here we are and as last year, with these rooibos vegan crepes topped with a home made orange coconut syrup, I wanted to publish a recipe a little different. And I had been willing to try cocoa crepes for a long time and the first test was a success and they were not sickly as I would have thought using so much cocoa powder. They're even very good on their own, but I wanted to add a little something to make it a real dessert and served them with some pear and a home made almond chai spices topping. I really suggest you to enjoy them warm because, thanks to the cocoa, the crepes are so moist!

Rooibos vegan French crepes and orange coconut syrup

--> recette en français

    Here I am, finally, with my own vegan crepe recipe! It must have been two years since I was looking for a recipe that suits me, I have tried several, found on the Web, in Facebook groups or blogs but there was never one that was okay. The crepes were either very thick, the taste or texture was odd or they would tar apart while cooking them in the pan. 

   I finally tried something I should have tried before, I took my mom's recipe I have been making since I was a teenager - it's foolproof and does not need to rest for an hour or anything - and replaced the eggs and milk with cornstarch and soy milk. I had tried with other plant-based milks and apple sauce or flax eggs but it never worked out as fine as I wanted it.

   My mom's crepes are the 2nd thing I learned to bake with the famous yogurt cake and they're delicious and light so I always tried to find vegan crepes that will taste just like them. And as I always want to add some personal touch to a basic recipe, I thought why not add some rooibos. I first wanted to make it infuse into soy milk but I finally tried something else, adding rooibos out of a bag directly into the batter, it's subtil but it works and it's good. I usually add some rum as my mom does but didn't here to be able to taste the rooibos.

{ Candlemas } Farz Buan, scrambled crepe from France (Brittany)

--> recette en français 

    Next week will celebrate Candlemas as we're almost, already, in February ! In France, it has been a long time tradition to make crepes on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas. But don't worry, you can enjoy crepes all year long and this is what I do because I just love them. 

   Here are a few words about Candlemas if you're not familiar with this celebration - that the Romans used to celebrate already - and crepes tradition. 

* * *

The tradition to make crêpes on Candlemas... Well, there are various origins. One says that it was created to follow a myth that if we didn't make crepes on Candlemas day, the wheat would be rotten all year long. So people would make crepes and flip the first one with the right hand while holding a gold coin in the left one. then, the coin would be wrapped into this crepe and put on top of a closet in the bedroom and left there until the following year. A year after, people would take the remains of the crepe off and give the gold coin to the first poor individual that they would meet, it was supposed to insure them money all year long. 

Piadine, North Italian sandwiches { garnished with arugula, mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella & cherry tomatoes }

-> recette en français

   Today, I offer you to fly towards Italy and discover these typical sandwiches, the piadine, from the North of the country, Emilia Romagna. 

Gluten free crêpes (French pancakes)

    The end of the year and the beginning of the new one is always a busy time for food lovers, after all the caramels, Christmas cakes, in French we enjoy Kings cake or Kings crown brioche for the Epiphany in January.

Cider Crêpes (French pancakes)

   Next February 2^nd, we will celebrate Candlemas in France, if it has been a religious celebration for long but it has been more a culinary event for the past years and we traditionally make and eat crêpes (French flat pancakes). Why crêpes? It is said that they would represent the sun and the light with their circle shape and and golden color.

  Of course, crêpes car be enjoyed all year long, they are one of my favorite dessert and I often make a little batch of a few crêpes for dessert or as a snack when I have a sudden craving.

 

  Today, this is not a traditional crêpes recipe I propose to you to try but a cider crêpes recipe. Cider often accompany crêpes but you can also add some to the dough, it adds a subtil touch, you should really try it and don't worry, the little alcohol evaporates itself during the cooking of the crêpes. 

--> French version : here

Cider French pancakes

Prep time : 5 min
Cook time : 2 min per crêpe
Serving : about 16 6.24 inch-crêpes

- 1 + 2/3 cup (or 8, 75 oz)  flour, sifted
- 2 tbsp unrefined organic cane sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 organic eggs, beaten
- 3 tsp melted butter or oil
- 1 + 1/4 cup (30 to 35 cl) cider

• In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, add the eggs, the melted butter (or oil) and mix again.

• Pour the cider gently while whisking, be careful the mixture can foam a little. 

• In a greased (or non-stick) hot pan, cook the crêpes and pile them on a large plate to keep them warm. 

• Enjoy them with your favorite jam, bananas and melted chocolate, sugar and lemon juice for example and a glass of  fine cider.

--> French version : here



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