This week’s recipe is by Jennifer Jenner, photographer, stylist and commercial recipe developer. She blogs unprocessed, allergy-friendly recipes with a creative twist over on 84th & 3rd.
Jennifer says: ” I am unapologetically addicted to brunch. There’s something so perfect about a meal that can be eaten any time from mid-morning well into the afternoon — and to me, brunch has always carried a relaxed connotation. The weather in Sydney at the moment is still unseasonably warm, however the gradually cooler evenings are a persistent reminder that winter is well on the way. There are few better ways to hide away from the cold than with hot mulled wine — and using it for brunch may be one of the best ideas I’ve had in ages!”
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the crepes:
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (370ml)
- 3/4 cup water (187ml)
- 3 eggs
- 3 tsp oil
- 1 1/2 cups white spelt flour (165g)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the pears:
- 4 firm pears
1 cup red wine (250ml)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (125ml)
- 2 cups strong tea (500ml)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 slice fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (40ml)
Method
To make the crepe batter whisk together milk, water, eggs and oil. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Allow batter to rest while you make the pears.
Peel pears, cut in half and remove core. Place in a medium saucepan with all remaining ingredients (wine through syrup) and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
If you have time, cool pears in poaching liquid before removing – if not remove while hot – then bring poaching liquid back to the boil. Boil 20-30 minutes until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup. Pour a spoonful or two of the syrup over the pears and strain the rest into a serving jug.
Preheat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and wipe with a lightly oiled paper towel. Pour in a scant 1/4 cup crepe batter and swirl pan to coat evenly. Cook 90 seconds, flip and cook a further 90 seconds. Repeat process until all batter has been used.
To serve, fold crepes in quarters and stack 3 or 4 on a plate. Top crepes with slices of poached pear, mulled wine syrup, and a dollop of yoghurt/coconut cream/ice cream/whipped ricotta if you wish.
Cook’s notes
- Black tea or chai tea work well, but for a deeper red colour use a fruit tea that contains hibiscus flowers.
- Wine can be substituted with an equal quantity of tea or fruit juice. If using juice you may want to reduce the maple syrup.
- Pears and crepe batter can both be made in advance – reheat pears in syrup before serving, allow batter to sit at room temperature for 30 mins before cooking.
–Find Jennifer on Instagram (she often takes part in our #7vignettes challenge), Facebook and Snapchat.
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