When I was a kid, my grandmother would make crepes, or naleśniki, all the time. Blueberry was the favorite, but always filled with some sort of fruit and sweet cheese. As a child, I saw it as magic. I would head over and dozens of thin pancakes would be stacked, one on top of another, waiting to be picked up, filled and eaten. How did she ever get them so thin? I could easily eat 4, 5, 6 in a sitting. If I was staying for the weekend, the stack might just last the whole time. Things got harder when my brother came along and I realized I needed to share.

As I grew up, went to college and moved away, crepes became more of a special treat rather than a weekly fixture. I was living in Philly and might head home once every month or so. It’s not that the trip was far, just under two hours when I was really lucky, it’s just that there was too much going on. Life took over. When my friend and I moved into our tiny row house in Philly it somehow dawned on me to try my hand at crepes. I’ve never been very good at being Polish, other than the fact that cooking for two means feeding an army, so I didn’t pursue a traditional naleśniki recipe. Instead, I found a simple crepe recipe and practiced. At first my crepes weren’t much thinner than regular flapjacks, but over time, my skill improved. I would make crepes every few weeks, usually for breakfast, filled with whatever fresh fruit was on hand. I don’t think they ever became as thin as my grandmother’s but for our purposes, they were fine.

For whatever reason, when I left Philly, my crepe days stayed back too. The other night, with a pint of blueberries in hand I had a craving for blueberry sauce. I’ve come to realize that people look at you a little strange if you make a sauce and eat it by the spoonful, so to appear normal, I needed a surface to spread it on. Crepes came to mind. I hadn’t made them in at least 5 years and was anxious if the skill would return to me like riding a bicycle. Crepe one was thick, doughy, a complete failure. But gradually, they got thinner and more crepe like. Served with fresh cream, they might just be my new go to summer dessert. An oldie but goodie.

Crepes with Blueberries & Cream (Adapted from All Recipes) Makes 6

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c milk
• 1/4 c water
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Fresh whipped cream

In a medium saucepan heat blueberries, ¼ c sugar and splash of water over medium heat. Crush berries as they cook. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water. Add to pot, return to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Whisk egg in a medium bowl until pale. Add flours, milk, water, salt and butter one at a time mixing well after each addition. It should resemble a thin pancake batter; a few lumps are okay. Heat nonstick pan over medium heat until pretty hot. Pour in 1/3 c batter, immediately tilting the pan in a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook for 3-4 minutes. You should notice the crepe is almost cooked. Shake the pan a bit or use a spatula to loosen it from the pan. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes on other side. Place finished crepes on a large plate with a sheet of wax paper between each so they don’t stick.

To assemble crepes, spoon two spoonfuls of blueberries into each, close both sides and flip over so the open side is on the bottom. Spoon over additional blueberries if desired and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Serve warm.

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