Aubrey’s Traditional Creperie
This crepe recipe is true and dear to our hearts. Once upon a time in Nottingham, in the heart of West End Arcade you once would be able to discover Aubrey’s Traditional Creperie. Hands down probably the best pancake restaurant/cafe or whatever you want to call it. We’re not kidding. Right now we’re trying to rack our brains for something that has trumped it but with no avail. Sorry My Old Dutch, but you’ve got nothing on Aubrey. Or now we guess we have to say, you didn’t.
With much despair, our little crepe haven has closed its doors. We would like to apologise if you feel like we’ve teased you for nothing! But come on .. who do you think we are. We couldn’t leave this place without having recreated some of our favourites and having them on lock and in the bag.
Crepes with Spiced Orange Syrup & Caramelised Bananas
And so we’d like to present our zesty orange crepes with caramelised bananas. Despite the recipe below looking like a beast it is really quite simple to make! We promise.
The spice comes from our favourite, cardamom. We just love using this in our desserts and if it makes sense, we’ll always try to squeeze it in somehow. A mix of fresh and caramelised bananas provides decadence but also the freshness needed to cut through. Do we even need to explain the reasoning of why we have orange syrup? Because yum!
How to make crepes easy
So sometimes getting the perfect thin crepe can be hard or even just the whole process of cooking pancakes. Is it just us or you can never keep up with pancake cooking especially when it comes pancake day?!
Pancakes are made to be enjoyed together, especially these specific french crepes that are made to be placed on the centre table where people dig in with their own toppings. Obviously in this recipe we’ve given you something delicious that needs to be shared as a topping.
- Have a plate next to your hob with some tin foil on it. When your pancake is done you can place it in there and wrap it up until your others are ready!
- Clean your pan after each pancake. Yes it is a lot of effort but it will save your pancakes from burning! Simply wipe down as much as you can with some kitchen towel.
- We also strongly recommend leaving your mixture for 15 minutes before you start cooking, if you have the patience and/or time!
Storing Crepe Batter
Do you alway seem to have silly amounts of batter leftover by the time you’re done with pancakes for the day? If you didn’t know, crepe batter stores perfectly well in the fridge! So if you’ve got a whole bowl leftover or even just enough batter for two, do not throw it away!
Simply pop it in a sealed container or cover with cling film and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. What’s more, your crepes will probably be super light the next day thanks to all that unintentional resting time.
Check out our Smoked Salmon & Ginger Mascarpone crepes for further tips on how to make the perfect crepe, along with a little savoury crepe recipe to tickle your tastebuds.
Apple pie french crepe pancakes
Why not try some apple pie pancakes! For your filling, slice two baking apples into thin slices. Add 1 tbsp of sugar, a squeeze of lemon, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and cook on a medium heat in a frying pan to get some caramelisation. Add on top of your crepe with some creme fraiche, ice cream or mascarpone cream.
If you’re feeling hella decadent, drizzle over some custard for the full apple pie experience!
Other delicious sweet crepe filling ideas
- You could also give a little extra flavour to any of your sweet pancakes by adding some vanilla extract, cinnamon or nutmeg – 1/4 tsp should be enough but you can adjust to your preference.
- Throwing us back to Camden market in the summer trying to scoff down that huge triangle folded crepe and hoping a flimsy plastic fork could help us defeat it; the classic Nutella and fruit combo. A classic for us and something no one can get bored of.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 68 g plain flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 190 ml milk
- 57 g unsalted butter melted + extra for frying
- 1/2 tbsp sugar optional
- 2 large oranges
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom alternatively 4 cardamom pods
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp mascarpone heaped tablespoons
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Ingredients
Sweet Crepes
Orange & Cardamom Syrup
Toppings
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- Sift your flour into a bowl with the salt (and sugar if you are adding it) and set aside.
- Crack your eggs into a separate bowl and whisk together. Slowly add your milk as you continue to whisk.
- Once you’ve added all your milk combined, add the flour mixture and whisk until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
- Pour in your melted butter and stir - make sure it’s not too hot or it will start to cook your batter. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes while we prep our fillings and syrup.
- Zest one orange into a small saucepan and then add the juice of two oranges. Add the juice of half a lemon along, sugar, cardamom and start with 1 tbsp of water.
- Heat on a low-medium heat until reduced to a syrup, stirring regularly to ensure it doesn’t burn. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes. If your syrup has reduced to much, simply add an extra tablespoon of water to adjust.
- Cut your bananas in half widthways then cut each half again lengthways.
- Add your sugar to a frying pan and heat on medium heat for a few minutes until it melts and starts to turn golden.
- Add your butter and stir then place your bananas in the pan cut side down. Allow the bananas to bubble and caramelise for a few minutes then flip them over to cook the other side. This side will only need a minute or two.
- Remove caramelised bananas from the pan onto a plate and set aside for assembly.
- Drop about a ¼ teaspoon of butter/oil to a frying pan on and place on medium heat. Pour half a ladle of batter into your frying pan and lift the pan and rotate your wrist in an anticlockwise motion to move the batter around to cover the bottom of your pan.*
- Cook until the pancake starts to move in the pan and you can easily shake the crepe around the pan. Flip onto the other side for a couple of minutes until golden brown.
- To assemble, place 4 caramelised banana pieces in the middle of your pancake. Drizzle your syrup over the top then fold each side of the pancake over the bananas to create a little square parcel (so cute!).
- Add a dollop of mascarpone then drizzle a little extra syrup and a sprinkle of orange zest. Enjoy your trip to heaven!
*You’ll have to be quick here and aim to get the batter distributed as thin as possible. If you have any holes you can add a little more batter with a teaspoon then move the pan around again to keep the pancake thin.
