Crepes with fruit-cream cheese filling.

I am not a breakfast kind of girl. Typically my breakfast consists of Pop-tarts, Captain Crunch, or Lucky Charms. I am not a fan of eggs, and I would never go out of my way to bake a breakfast... except this particular one. Ever since the sixth grade, every time I was lucky enough to be sitting in an Elmers or IHOP, I wouldn't even need to look at the menu, I knew exactly what I was getting. Crepes filled with cream cheese and topped with strawberries.

My husband is a huge breakfast fan, and eats a mixture of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, crepes, pancakes, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, muffins, or other breakfast foods he can get his hands on. For his birthday, I recently went to the local Powell's bookstore and headed straight to the cooking aisle and picked up as many "morning food" cookbooks that I could find. I excitedly raced to the check stand and paid for the new gift, and hurried home. I am not one for patience when it comes to giving gifts. I didn't even wrap his gift, because the first thing out of my mouth when I got home was, "do you want to open your birthday gift now?" Michael has patience and loves to drive me crazy by refusing to open his gifts until his actual birthday. However, I was able to wear him down this time and he reluctantly "opened" his un-wrapped gift a few days before the celebration. The moment he saw that I got him cookbooks, he rolled his eyes and sarcastically thanked me. What kind of person buys their husband cookbooks for his birthday? The next thing I know, he is drooling over the pictures inside of these cookbooks, and calling his mom to tell her what I got him. She had about the same reaction as he had, "she got you cookbooks?" Ever since that day, I have seen these cookbooks on the counters in the kitchen being used quite often.

-Sarah

The first recipe is for Crepes, and is from the book, "Crepes, Waffles & Pancakes!" by Kathryn Hawkins.
Basic Crepe Batter
This produces a smaller, more refined pancake, rich and deliciously tender. Add the sugar to the batter if serving with a sweet filling.
Makes 12 crepes.
1 cup plain flour
2 Tbsp extra-fine sugar (optional)
1 pinch salt
2 while eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine the flour, sugar, if using, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, break in the eggs, then add the extra yolks. Add half the milk and gradually work into the flour using a whisk. Beat lightly until smooth, but don't over-mix.
Add the remaining milk gradually, whisking gently until it is well combined. Transfer to a batter bowl, cover loosely, and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup melted butter into the batter before using.
Lightly brush a small frying pan - 6 in base diameter- with a little of the remaining butter and heat until hot. Holding the pan, pour in about 1/4 cup batter and tilt the pan from side to side so that the batter runs into a thin, even layer across the bottom of the pan.
Place the pan over moderate heat and cook for about 1 minute, or until the crepe browns around the edges and begins to curl away from the pan. Slide a palette knife under the crepe and flip it over. Brown the underside for a further minute.

I then add the filling to each crepe made. The filling is my variation of a recipe called "Berry-filled Custard Crepes" from the recipe book, Morning Food" by Margaret S. Fox and John B. Bear. Typically I double or triple the recipe below, because I love to have leftovers. (The leftovers are great for cupcake filling). Mix the ingredients below to your preferred texture.

4 ounces whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons white sugar
A handful of fruit such as strawberries or blueberries

Top the crepes with whipped cream, fruit, powdered sugar, etc.