A recipe for the perfect summertime brunch: strawberry crêpes filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla bean pastry cream. So simple and so satisfying.
Start by making the pastry cream ahead of time because it has to cool. Heat the milk on medium heat in a medium saucepan with a sprinkling of the sugar and the split vanilla beans (seeds scraped into the pot).
Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar in a medium bowl til the mixture has lightened in color, then add in the flour and starch, and whisk again to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
When the milk is steaming and almost boiling, pour the hot milk over the eggs, whisking continuously til the mixture is homogeneous. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan, removing the vanilla beans, and continue whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened and boiled for a good minute.
Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a plastic-wrap lined rimmed sheet, and top with another piece of plastic wrap. Transfer the pan to the fridge and let cool completely, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Crêpes
Prepare the crêpe batter by whisking together all the ingredients.
Cook the crêpes in a buttered, preheated cast-iron pan (or a non-stick pan) on medium-low heat. I cooked mine in a 7 inch pan, yielding smaller crêpes.
When you are ready to eat, transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and whip it using a whisk to smooth it out and loosen it.
Top each crêpe with a generous dollop of pastry cream and lots of strawberries, roll it (or fold it) and enjoy.