THE MYSTIQUE OF RASPBERRY CREPES

Everybody loves crepes. It's a mystery why, because they're as thin as bathroom tissue and couldn't possibly add much flavor to the fillings people put inside them.

They break easy, too. The %X&$# things just won't stay together, and they have to be cooked just right. So why, you're asking, do millions of people all over the world go to so much trouble to make them?

I know the answer, but it's impossible to communicate it with words. Crepes have the unique ability to plant obsession in the mind of their maker. I hate to say it, but you'll have to make a few to see what I mean. If you haven't done that already, then here's your chance. That's my own, well-tested recipe for raspberry crepes below.

A few comments before we start....

First, these breakfast crepes are made to go with a good quality hot coffee. This formula won't work if you try to drink juice or water instead. Think of the coffee as being the most important thing, and the crepe as a flavor enhancer for the coffee. Make the coffee first so it'll be ready the instant the crepes are finished.

Secondly, this recipe uses crepes that you buy from the supermarket. They won't be as good as the kind you could make yourself, but they're still pretty tasty, and they're easier for beginners to use.

Third, I make these with fresh raspberries, but any berry will do, including frozen berries.

Okay, let's start. I keep my crepes frozen til they're needed. No thawing is necessary; the crepes are room temperature and come fully cooked right out of the bag.

Put a crepe on a plate and spread a little berry jam or preserves onto it in a confined area shaped like a 1/4 pie slice. If you're tempted to use cream cheese, don't.  Spreading it will tear the crepe.

Now put a little butter and sugar into a pan and turn the heat to low+. When it's hot and the sugar begins to caramelize, put in the berries...fewer than you think you'll need. Keep turning the berries and very gently press down once in a while to be sure they're cooking. Add a few drops of lemon juice and a couple of drops of vanilla extract. When the berries have turned into into something messy and juicy, that's your cue to take them off the flame and empty them into the pie slice area of the crepe.

Add a little nutmeg, cinnamon, and maybe brandy. Brandy isn't necessary, but if you use it, take care to use only a few drops lest the crepe become soggy and break.

Carefully fold the crepe in half, then fold it again into a triangle shape.  Add whipped cream (I use Reddi-whip because the gas doesn't leak out of their nozzles...) to the top,  and top it off with a single uncooked raspberry.

Now for the final step. On the plate beside the finished crepe pour some good quality melted vanilla ice cream. That's for dipping. If you expect to dip a lot, and require more ice cream, put the melted ice cream into a separate saucer.

Quickly wipe the frying pan with a damp paper towel to make it ready for a possible second crepe and that's it...you're ready to eat!

Troubleshooting: If your crepe falls apart, you put too much filling into it. Either that, or the filling was too soggy. You could fix that by using two crepes instead of one, but that would ruin the taste. I don't know why, but the thinness of the crepe, which causes so many handling problems, is absolutely essential to the flavor.

If the crepe does tear, it's no big deal. It'll still taste good. Some people get around the tearing problem by rolling the dry, unfilled crepe up like a cigar.  They dip the cigar into the soggy ingredients and eat it that way. That's fine, the crepe stays together that way, but for me it's cheating. You'll never understand the mystique of crepes if you do that.

Obsessing over keeping the triangle from falling apart is part of the game. You master it, then you get to feel superior to all the lesser people who can't do it. Millions of crepe eaters agree that this ridiculous show of status is somehow important....and it is.

And, oh yes...don't forget the coffee!