Unusually for a Mexican fusion recipe, Mexican crepes do not begin in Spain. The Spanish ruled Mexico for over 300 years and when we think of the country today, we often associate it with Spain first and foremost. After all, so many fruits, vegetables, nuts and more hailed from the Iberian Peninsula and flourished in this fertile land, with so many different climates suited to so many different varieties of foodstuffs.
The Spanish also had an influential impact on Mexico’s cuisine, which blended with its indigenous people, who in turn introduced the Spaniards to many of their culinary delights like chocolate. So, when do crepes enter the picture?
Crepes originated from France, specifically Brittany, during the medieval era and their name derives from the Latin “crispus” referring to their thin, crisp texture. Crepes made their way across the Atlantic, as France came to establish a monarchy in Mexico, proclaiming Maximilian of Habsburg as emperor in 1864.
While this intervention failed and Maximillian was executed in 1867, the infusion of French culinary techniques and foods integrated with local Mexican ingredients and flavors, leading to the country embracing the crepe within its culture.
Over time, Mexican crepes took on various forms. Some were filled with cajeta (goat’s milk caramel), fruits or chocolate. Others took on a savory tone, like the marquesita, which features cheese and cajeta, and was invented by Leopoldo Mena in the Yucatan in the 1930s.
So, let’s talk a traditional French-Mexican crepe for dessert, one made with cinnamon-sugar caramelized apples, and topped with powdered sugar, ice-cream or traditional cajeta (recipe included).
Mexican Cinnamon-Sugar Caramelized Apple Crepes with Calvados and Cajeta:
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
Crepes:
- 2 eggs (huevos)
- 1 Cup (250 mL) whole milk (leche entera)
- 1/3 Cup (79 mL) water (agua)
- 1 Cup (120 g) all-purpose white flour
- Use only American flour, available online.
- 2 Tbs. (24 g) granulated sugar (azúcar estándar)
- 1 tsp. (4.2 g) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
- Mexican brands noted for intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla.
- 2 Tbs.(28 g) butter*, melted (mantequilla)
- Best Mexican brands: Lala; Gloria; Alpura; Aguascalientes; Flor de Alfalfa.
Filling:
- 3 large Granny Smith apples or Golden Delicious (or a combination of the two):
(manzanas Granny Smith o Manzanas doradas y deliciosas)
- 2 Tbs. (28 g) unsalted butter (mantequilla sin sal)
- 1/3 Cup (65 g) brown sugar (azúcar moreno)
- 1 Tbs. (14 g) Calvados* or cognac (coñac)
- I recommend using Calvados, a brandy from Normandy, France, made from apples and/or pears, and perfect for this recipe.
- 1 tsp. (2.6 g) ground cinnamon (canela)
- 3 Tbs. (27.9 g) chopped toasted hazelnuts* (avellanas)
- To toast hazelnuts, spread shelled nuts in a shallow pan and roast in a 350F/176C oven for 8-10 minutes or until their skins crack. Remove skins by rubbing warm nuts with a rough cloth or in between your hands.
Toppings:
- Powdered sugar (azúcar glas)
- Whipped cream, vanilla ice-cream, or cajeta (recipe follows)
Instructions:
Crepes:
- In a blender or food processor, combine eggs, milk, water, flour, sugar, vanilla and melted butter. Blend for 5 seconds or until smooth. Stir down and repeat, if necessary.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours.
- Gently stir the batter if it has separated.
- Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned 6- or 7-inch pan over medium-high heat until hot. (Use a 9- or 10-inch pan for larger crepes.)
- Wipe the pan lightly with butter, then lift the pan from the heat, and pour in 2-3 Tbs. of batter (about 1/4 cup for a 9- or 10-inch pan), tilting and rotating the pan to coat.
- Cook crepe until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minute.
- Loosen the edges with a spatula and flip the crepe over using your fingers or the spatula.
- Cook the other side for about 15 seconds or until lightly browned.
- Turn the crepe out onto a clean kitchen towel to cool.
- Repeat with remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter as needed and stacking the crepes as they are cooked.
- For serving immediately: Cover the crepes with aluminum foil and keep them warm in a preheated 200-degree oven.
- If serving later: Wrap in plastic wrap and then put in a self-sealing plastic freezer bag.
- Refrigerate the crepes for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Filling:
- Peel, core and thinly slice apples.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until it starts to sizzle.
- Add apples, sprinkle with sugar and cook until the sugar turns amber, and apples are tender.
- Gently mix in the Calvados or cognac and cinnamon and nuts. Set aside.
- Arrange a few slices of caramelized apples on one quarter of each crepe. Fold each crepe in half twice so it forms a triangle.
To serve:
- Arrange 2 crepes on each plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream, ice-cream, or cajeta and serve at once.
Traditional Mexican Cajeta:
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups or 16 oz. (500 ml) goat’s milk (leche de cabra)
- ⅓ Cup or up to ½ Cup (100 g) granulated sugar (azúcar estándar)
- ½ tsp. (2.17 g) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
- Mexican brands noted for intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac’s; Molina Vainilla.
- 1 cinnamon stick (canela en rama)
- pinch of salt (sal)
- ¼ tsp. (1.42 g) baking soda (bicarbonato)
- 2 Tbs. (30 mL) whole cow’s milk (leche entera)
Instructions:
- In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, pour goat’s milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and bring to a light boil.
- Stir to ensure the sugar has dissolved; remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl mix cow’s milk and baking soda until the baking soda has dissolved.
- Remove pot from burner and pour baking-soda mixture into the goat’s milk, stirring fast.
- Be careful because the liquid will quickly froth and overflow.
- Stir until the bubbles have subsided.
- Put pot back on the stove.
- Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook the goat’s milk mixture, stirring frequently so the mixture does not boil over.
- After 20-30 minutes, the mixture will darken and thicken into a thick sauce.
- Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns a dark caramel color and coats a wood spoon (which may take 20-40 minutes).
- The cajeta should the same consistency as maple syrup.
Next:
- Pour into a jar and cool completely.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to use (up to 2 weeks).
- The cajeta will taste best if warmed before using.
Disfruta!
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals.
