finnish crepes
These crepes are soft and thin with buttery edges, filled with strawberries cooked down until they’re glossy and thick, then cut with lemon to keep everything bright. The vanilla whipped cream makes it feel extra, the powdered sugar makes it look extra, and together it’s basically the perfect sweet comfort plate.
What is the history of crepes?
Crepes trace back to Brittany, France, where thin pancakes were originally practical food; easy to cook, cheap to make, and perfect for filling with whatever you had on hand. The classic savory version was made with buckwheat, a hardy crop that became common in the region and helped shape the now iconic galette. Over time they spread across Europe and FInland made them their own with lettu, the finnish style crepe that’s usually a little more buttery and often cooked until the edges turn golden and crisp. In Finland lettu is less ‘fancy dessert’ and more everyday comfort; warm, simple, and meant to be piled with berries, jam, or cream and eaten immediately.
How to make crepes?
In a large bowl whisk together milk, eggs, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, salt, 1 tbsp sugar, melted butter, and flour until smooth. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Place strawberries, water, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small pot. Simmer over medium heat for about 25-35 minutes until thickened and the berries have broken down. Stir in cornstarch and set aside to cool. Meanwhile make the whipped cream by placing heavy cream in a medium bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form, add 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and 2 tbsp sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form and set aside. Melt a cube of butter on a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of the batter on the pan, tilt to spread it around, and cook for 4-6 minutes until golden. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Repeat with rest of the batter. Stuff crepes with the strawberry filling and whipped cream, and then dust them with powdered sugar.
Tips
Once the crepe is bubbling in the middle and the edges feel firm - slid a spatula under it covering the whole middle area and quickly flip around.
Keep adding butter on the hot skillet between crepes.
The jam can be made up to 4 days before.