Cinnamon-Apple Crepes - Side Challenge #10

So for those of you who have been keeping track, this is actually the sixth recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat favorites, when I only required myself to try five before making a decision. But as I flipped through the cookbook, marking on a post-it the recipes I wanted to try, six jumped out at me, so I decided to consider the sixth as extra-credit. These are very reminiscent of ¨roll-ups¨, a favorite breakfast dish in our best-friends' household.

While Trent and I both agreed that these were quite tasty, the whole process was so frustrating that by the end of it I felt a bit pitiful and petulant (though the sadness lifted after a sailing/kayaking trip to Eagle Harbor). At the same time, I am considering making a savory crepe recipe from the same cookbook to use up some of the additional evaporated milk, so maybe it wasn't that traumatic. Next time, I will start out using more oil than called for to avoid the sticking-to-the-pan problem that drove me so batty.

Cinnamon-Apple Crepes

Crepes

• 3/4 c. flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 c. evaporated skimmed milk
• 1/4 t. pure vanilla extract

Filling

• 1 1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese (if you oprefer, you can omit this and increase the amount of grated apple to 3 c. - that's what I did)
• 1 to 2 T. sugar
• 1 t. freshly grated lemon peel
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. peeled and grated apple, firmly packed (1 large apple)
• 1/2 t. cinnamon

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a blender or food processor, whirl the dry ingredients with the egg, egg whites, evaporated skimmed milk, and vanilla for about 30 seconds until well blended. If necessary, stop once and scrape the sides of the blender or processor with a rubber spatula.

Heat a nonstick 8-inch skillet or crepe pan on medium-high heat. Ladle about 1/8 c. of the batter into the skillet - use just enough to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan in all directions to spread the batter evenly. Cook each crepe until the underside is slightly browned and the top looks dry, 1/2 to 1 minute. Lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula, take hold of it with the fingertips of both hands (being careful not to burn yourself), flip it over in one fluid motion, and cook the other side for 15 to 20 seconds, or until just light brown. Remove the crepe to a platter.

Continue making crepes and stacking them on a platter until no batter is left. The cooked crepes wont stick together. If, however, the crepe batter begins to stick to the cooking pan, try using a light coating of cooking spray. Fill and bake immediately, or freeze for future use.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a food processor or blender, puree the cottage cheese, sugar, lemon peel, and salt until very smooth. Transfer the puree to a bowl and thoroughly mix in the grated apple and cinnamon. 

Place about 3 T. of the filling on the lower half of each crepe, roll it up, and lay it, seam side down, on a baking dish prepared with cooking spray. Cover and bake for about 15 minutes, until hot.

I made half of a recipe (which meant skipping the egg white and just using one egg), as this claims to serve 5 or 6.