My children are not massive fans of crêpes (or other pancakes in general). It’s odd, I know but it is my reality. Give them chocolate crêpes however and we’ll have a completely different story. They love them! Problem is that chocolate contain caffeine which does not combine well with kids. Until recently I was only aware of carob in it’s syrup form. Thanks to buywholefoodsonline.co.uk I recently discovered that you can get carob in powder form. It makes a great alternative to chocolate, especially if you are concerned about your kids caffeine intake. In this post I will share with you a basic carob crêpes recipe I created recently using carob powder provided by buywholefoodsonline.co.uk . It is simple, it is delicious and it easily fooled the kids to think they are having chocolate pancakes!

Makes 6 – 8 crêpes (depending on the size of your pan)

Ingredients:

• 120g plain flour
• 30g carob powder
• 2 large eggs
• 275ml whole milk
• 1 tblsp rapeseed oil
• butter for greasing
• 50g active sourdough starter (optional if you want to add a little bit of fluffiness)

Method:

1. Sift the flour and carob powder into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs.
2. Start beating the eggs using a balloon whisk. Concentrate on the eggs only, gradually drawing in flour and carob powder mixture from around the edge. Don’t force the flour and carob powder mixture, it will be incorporated as you beat the eggs. Add the sourdough starter if using and continue beating until the mixture in the middle has consistency of a thick paste. Not all of the flour will be incorporated at this stage. Don’t worry, it will be mixed in the next step with addition of the milk.
3. Now add a splash of milk and keep beating. Continue adding splashes of milk and whisk continuously until all of the flour is incorporated into the batter. Add the remaining milk and oil and whisk to ensure the mixture is smooth. The batter should have consistency of a thin cream. If you have time chill the batter for about 30 minutes. This will allow the starch cells to swell which will make the batter lighter.
4. If you don’t have an oil spray melt about 30g butter in a small bowl. Place the pan over a low to medium heat and spray with oil or wipe it with kitchen paper dipped in the melted butter.
5. Pour in a little of the batter into the frying pan, just enough to thinly coat the bottom of the pan (about ½ soup ladle). As you pour the batter in, swirl the pan to ensure the batter to cover the bottom completely. Return the pan to the heat.
6. After 1 – 2 minutes, use a palette knife and your fingers to turn the crêpe over. Cook for another 1 – 2 minutes and then gently remove it to a plate.
7. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Often the first crêpe will be either too thick, or thin and break. Adjust consistency of the batter with extra milk if necessary. Avoid overcooking the crêpes or they will toughen. They need only 1 – 2 minutes on each side, adjust the heat a little if required.

Serve warm with fresh berries and a dollop of Crème Chatilly.