My sister Chelsea would call this another one of my experiments. In any case, it was an enjoyable evening undertaking! This was the first use of my new griddle pan; a momentous occasion. My Grandma Joan used to bake a lot with us kids, and she had a square griddle that was perfect for making pancakes, as my sister and I recounted vividly today, so I dedicate this post to her.
The plan was originally to make rice pudding filling for some homemade gluten-free crepes. The crepes are made from the absolutely awesome gluten-free Bisquick - if you've never tried it, buy some. It tastes just like the real thing. Why? I finally figured it out - Bisquick is under Betty Crocker, which as you might know, makes some very scrumptious chocolate chip cookie, brownie, and yellow and chocolate cake mixes. Of course, Betty Crocker also makes some delicious regular (aka non-gluten-free) treats for anyone with a sweet tooth (or if you're like me, a mouth full).
Now, the rice pudding is generally self-explanatory to make. This particular batch was made with Uncle Ben's Rice Pudding (it comes in an orange box), and was cinnamon raisin pudding (they also make french vanilla). All ingredients are mixed in a saucepan, brought to a boil, simmered to low heat until it thickens (about 10 minutes), and then covered for a few more minutes.
The crepes are a bit more tricky. Since I'm French, my mom would be the first to correct me: these are not real crepes. Well, okay, they are now Joanna's Gluten-Free Crepes. I can't provide a recipe yet, since I experimented without any measurements, but here's the process.
Start as if you are making pancakes. I always halve the recipe on the box, so I began with an egg, beaten, and a splash of vegetable oil. I then added about a 1/2 C of milk (2%), and slowly stirred in some GF Bisquick mix. I kept tweaking the milk-mix ratio until the consistency was very very thin. I learned that there are two tricks to this: thin batter poured in large amounts and a warm-hot pan. If the pan is not warm enough, the thin mixture just runs all over the pan. The thin nature allows the crepes to be flexible and rolled. Some xanthan gum may make the crepes more flexible, but I believe there is some in the Bisquick mix. The crepes take a few minutes to cook, but not long. Just be careful flipping them, as they tend to stick in the middle (cooks slower).
Before eating, spoon some warm pudding on one side of the flat crepe. Roll the other end around the pudding, and enjoy! I also might add, with some whipped cream this would be deadly delicious!
