For the past few years I’ve been absolutely infatuated with the thought of Paris. Paris, Paris, Paris! My poor – and very patient –  boyfriend knows this beast of an obsession all too well; I shamelessly bat my eyes with wild animation whenever I even hear someone mention of the capital of France. It’s a quirk I’m working on controlling 😉

I partly blame Woody Allen for my European wanderlust. He is the master of capturing cities,  and in my case, seducing me to fall madly in love with them. I literally watched Manhattan Murder Mystery 3 weeks before deciding to leave PA and move my life to New York. So it’s no surprise that after I saw ‘Midnight in Paris’ it was all over for me. I can vividly remember walking down Bleecker Street after the film, my mind tangled with thoughts and images of how grand life would be there. I’m pretty much Gil Pender… in a 26 year old, female body. If you have no clue what the heck I’m talking about, rent the movie, please. It’s a gem.

Yesterday morning I was exceptionally in a daydream mood, and after awaking to an unseasonably chilly and damp day here in NYC – especially for the middle of July – I knew exactly what needed to be done. Coffee first. Always. Then, crepes! I browned the butter before adding it to the crepe batter for a little oomph – and to make my kitchen smell amazing. I tossed some rum and lemon zest in the batter as well, then cooked up the crepes until they’re were just golden and perfectly gorgeous. We slathered on some fresh blueberry jam and a dollop of mascarpone cheese, gently mixed it together, and after a quick fold found ourselves biting into our own little piece of Paris. Well… at least that’s how I’ll be fondly remembering it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me (and my chipped nails…), we’ve got leftovers to attend to.

Brown – Butter Crepes with Fresh Blueberry Jam & Mascarpone Cheese – Baker by Nature

For the Crepe Batter

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tablespoons rum

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons browned butter

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup water

1 cup flour

Butter for the pan

Instructions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and pulse for about 15 seconds; Just until everything has combined. Place blender container in the fridge for one hour before use.

When ready to use, heat a well greased 10″ crepe over a medium high flame. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the heated pan, swirling to coat evenly, and cook for about 40 seconds before flipping and cooking for another 15 seconds. Stack the cooked crepes on wax paper, making sure to place a fresh piece in between each crepe so they don’t stick together. Use right away, or wrap in saran wrap and store up to 48 hours.

For the Blueberry Jam

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup water + 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a small saucepan bring the blueberries, water, and sugar to a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until to your preferred thickness. Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon zest and vanilla.

For Crepe Assembly:

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

Crepe shells

Fresh Blueberry jam

Fresh Blueberries for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

In the center of a cooked crepe shell spread one heaping tablespoon of blueberry jam and one heaping tablespoon of mascarpone cheese. Fold the crepe in half, and then in half again. Garnish with fresh blueberries, and eat!