Crepes with Mascarpone Cream and Balsamic Strawberries

You want to know how to start any day off on the right start? Have some crepes.

Particularly, these crepes— paper thin pan cakes folded together with mascarpone cream cheese and whipped cream, topped with strawberries macerated with a little sugar and balsamic vinegar.

Breakfast perfection on a plate.

This is my favorite crepe recipe. I’ve been using it exclusively ever since I made the crepe cake. The batter starts with a little browned butter (like so many other wonderful things). Then, heated milk is added along with the browned butter to a little flour, sugar, salt, and a few eggs. The batter rests in the fridge to let all of the flavors properly mix and mingle overnight before they’re cooked on the stove.

It’s perfect really, because if you’re serving crepes for breakfast, half of your work is already done by the time you get up.

The batter is extremely thin— you may even think it’s too thin— but that’s how it’s supposed to be. Thin batter makes thin crepes, crepes that are slightly sweet and soft in the middle and a little crispy at the edges. Perfect for tucking your favorite toppings inside.

I think this is my favorite combo. You can’t go wrong with strawberries and cream, am I right? Plus the mascarpone cream and balsamic vinegar fancies it up. It’s still very simple, but sophisticated.

It’s my kind of breakfast of champions.

Crepes with Mascarpone Cream and Balsamic Strawberries
Makes approximately 10 crepes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
                                             
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Continue to cook butter until it turns golden brown, swirling the pan as necessary to help the butter cook evenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a separate saucepan, heat the whole milk over medium heat until steaming (do not boil).

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the milk and butter until full incorporated. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make the crepes, take the batter out of the fridge and allow to return to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 9 inch skillet over medium low heat. When the pan is hot, add 1/4 cup crepe batter. Tilt pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan as needed. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned, loosening the edges and center with a spatula as it cooks. Flip and cook on the other side for an additional minute. Flip out onto a plate and repeat until all the batter is used.

To prepare the toppings:

2 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon basalmic vinegar

1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces mascarpone cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the sliced strawberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the basalmic vinegar in a bowl. Allow to sit while you prepare the crepes.

To make the cream, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer. While mixing on medium speed, add the mascarpone cream a spoonful at a time until incorporated. At the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla.

Serve the crepes with the mascarpone cream and macerated basalmic strawberries.

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