Easter

Crepes with Lemon Curd & Blueberry Compote

by:
April  7, 2021
4.7
3 Ratings
Crepes with Lemon Curd & Blueberry Compote
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 30 minutes
  • Cook time 35 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Crepes are a regular Saturday morning cooking with bedhead kinda thing at our house. Probably because it's the one breakfast food my husband knows how to cook without asking for guidance. (Which means it's my only option for breakfast in bed--NOT that I'm complaining. I'll take crepes in bed any day.) When I'm feeling lazy, I let my husband make the crepes, douse them in maple syrup and we happily wolf them down Franco-American style. But on special occasions, I make a fruit sauce while he fries the crepes, inspired by whatever ripe fruit we happen to have on hand. And on EXTRA special occasions lemon curd gets involved. —Ms. T

Test Kitchen Notes

A great brunch dish with three pretty basic components that go fantastically well together. Lots and lots of bang for the effort. The lemon curd, lightened up with inclusion of egg white, shines strongest on the palate while blueberry compote has fresh, clean flavor and astoundingly bright color. The visual presentation of composed dish is brilliant. Try adding a tad less water to the compote if you prefer it less runny, and whip up the crepes with some higher smoke-point oil in the pan. And get out that camera, because these colors are crazy! —Rebecca Vitale

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the lemon curd
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" chunks
  • 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 5 large eggs, beaten
  • For the crepes with blueberry compote
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 strips/peels fresh lemon zest
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 splash fun liqueur, like Grand Marnier
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons melted butter, plus a small amount for the pan
Directions
  1. For the lemon curd
  2. Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
  3. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in eggs. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat until curd thickens, about 2 minutes (do not boil).
  4. Strain curd through sieve into bowl. Allow to cool for at least an hour. Can make ahead and store for about a week in a jar in the fridge.
  1. For the crepes with blueberry compote
  2. Combine water, sugar and lemon zest in a medium-sized heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in half of the blueberries and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until blueberries begin to burst, 3 to 5 minutes. Add splash of Grand Marnier. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and remaining blueberries. Remove lemon zest and discard. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  3. Whisk flour, salt, eggs, milk and melted butter together in a large bowl to make crepe batter. (or combine in blender).
  4. Heat a skillet with low sides over medium heat until a drop of water skitters across the pan. Grease the pan with a little butter and ladle about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, pouring into the center of the pan and swirling pan to spread batter evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until edges just begin to show a pale golden color, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer crepe to a plate and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Repeat until you've used all the batter.
  5. To assemble, spread a spoonful or two of lemon curd onto warm crepe, roll, and spoon blueberry compote on top. Garnish with powdered sugar and serve.
Tags:
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Elise Cofield
    Elise Cofield
  • GourMel
    GourMel
  • LeeLeeBee
    LeeLeeBee
  • Ms. T
    Ms. T
  • Midge
    Midge
Ms. T
A museum marketing professional 8 hours a day, and a gal who's dreaming, drooling, obsessing about food for the other 18 hours. Wait, that doesn't add up to 24? Oh, that's because I'm counting the hours I'm supposed to be working that I dream about food (don't tell my boss). Several years ago, I started a cooking club with six girlfriends...ten years later...many of our addresses and last names have changed, our palettes have gotten more sophisticated and the wine has gotten less cheap. We now usually sit at dining room tables like grownups instead of on cushions on the floor of studio apartments, and the conversations have shifted with the life stages...but we're still going strong, the food gets better every month, and nothing is more pleasurable than sharing an afternoon laughing, eating, and trading tips on recipes and life.

Popular on Food52

17 Reviews

shoepershopper
shoepershopper June 5, 2022
This is a perfectly simple recipe with perfectly delicious results. Granted, for this batch I didn't have enough eggs on hand to make both the curd and the crepes so I used some Dickinsons Lemon Curd I had on hand in my pantry. I was able to enjoy these without spending all morning in the kitchen and I was even able to enjoy these before the rest of the family woke up. Also, I'm excited to save this recipe so I don't have to buy lemon curd again.
 
Elise C.
Elise C. April 15, 2016
2 teaspoons of butter, not tablespoons?
 
Jenny C.
Jenny C. December 25, 2019
Yes, teaspoons.
 
glutwin
glutwin May 7, 2014
These look fabulous….I'm wondering if you need to let the crêpe batter "rest" for an hour or so after mixing?..So many of my french friends advise doing so! Is it necessary here?
 
GourMel
GourMel February 11, 2014
I've made these crepes a number of times and love them! However, I find that I have to use a lot of butter in the pan to get the first cooked side of the crepe to brown nicely but the second side always looks like black and white splotches. Any thoughts?
 
Lauren K.
Lauren K. April 24, 2014
Having made crepes professionally in the past (seriously!), if you can't get the pan at the right temperature to evenly brown both sides, just make sure to put the filling in the less pretty side. It's a fantastic trick -- works every time, and keeps you from having to add more butter or worry about even browning.

You might also want to try a different type of pan -- I have a lot of luck with my de Buyer Steel pan and don't have to use any butter at all.
 
LeeLeeBee
LeeLeeBee December 2, 2013
I love the lemon curd and compote, but even without them, the crepes rock. This recipe has become my go-to for crepes!
 
Ms. T.
Ms. T. December 6, 2013
Glad you like it!
 
za'atar
za'atar June 11, 2013
These were lovely and easy to put together ... a lot of wow factor for very little work.
 
Ms. T.
Ms. T. June 11, 2013
Thanks for the feedback--I'm happy to hear you liked the recipe!
 
Laura J.
Laura J. August 15, 2012
Just made this the other morning for ma famille, they absolutely loved it! :)
 
Ms. T.
Ms. T. August 16, 2012
So glad you ( et ta famille) enjoyed it! Merci :)
 
gustus
gustus July 7, 2012
I tried these but cheated by using store-bought Robertsons lemon curd. I found that the lemon flavors completely overpowered the blueberries, even using the curd sparingly. Don't know if it was the store-bought curd or the lemon in the blueberry compote or the combination of the two. The blueberry compote did taste good used with sour cream instead of the curd, though. I'll try again using the curd recipe above.
 
Ms. T.
Ms. T. July 8, 2012
Hmmm, I'm sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the dish. Perhaps store-bought lemon curd has a more concentrated flavor. But it could also be a matter of preference. I've found that people's palettes vary quite a bit when it comes to citrus. I'm constantly making dishes that make my husband pucker up, when to my taste, they could use another squeeze ;) If you try again, I'd love to hear if there's a difference.
 
Ms. T.
Ms. T. April 27, 2012
Thank you so much bink, for the community pick--I'm delighted! (and for the suggestions on how to improve the recipe) As usual, your stunning Food52 photography makes it look even better than it ever does when I make it. But I have those plates (Heath, right?) so I can at least pretend this photo was taken in my kitchen ;)
 
Ms. T.
Ms. T. April 27, 2012
Thanks Midge!
 
Midge
Midge April 27, 2012
Ms.T, these sound heavenly.