Bears at the Beach

San Diego, California

Specialty Recipe

Baked Eggs in Crepe Cups

This easily accommodates those lighter mornings when there are only a few guests in the house. It looks and is elegant. I make the crepes in advance and store, separated by sheets of waxed paper, in the refrigerator for up to a week. (or ready-made crepes found in the supermarket work quite well). I serve the dish with roasted herb potatoes (also good with hash browns, etc.) and muffins or scones.

Ingredients For Crepes:

2 eggs

1-1/4 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

pinch salt

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For Baked Egg Filling:

8 Tablespoons baked Asiago cheese

4 teaspoons chopped mixed herbs, such as oregano, marjoram, basil and savory or 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

8 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

8 teaspoons heavy cream

Watercress, sour cream, capers and Italian parsley for garnish

To make Crepes: In small electric mixer bowl, beat 2 eggs and milk at medium speed until blended. Add flour, salt and the 1 tablespoon of melted, cooled butter. Beat until smooth. Heat 7-inch crepe pan or small skillet over medium-high heat. Brush pan with melted butter before making each crepe. Pour 3 tablespoons batter in hot buttered pan, tilting pan quickly to spread butter evenly on bottom and slightly up sides of pan. Cook quickly until lightly browned on both sides, turning once. Repeat with remaining batter, making 8 crepes each about 5 to 5-1/2 inches in diameter. Stack cooked crepes on a plate with wax paper between each crepe.

To make Baked-Egg Filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray eight (2-1/2 inch) nonstick muffin cups with nonstick coating. Line each cup with a crepe, allowing sides to flute naturally in folds. Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese and a sprinkling of 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs into bottom of each cup.

Break an egg into a custard cup, then slip egg into a crepe cup over cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining seven eggs to fill all the crepe cups. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Drizzle each egg with 1 teaspoon cream. Place muffin pan on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until desired color. Tent with foil during last part of cooking time if crepes start to overbrown on edges.

Serving: Run a narrow icing spatula around edges of crepe cups to loosen, then carefully lift hot crepe cup out of pan using same spatula.

Garnish with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkling of capers, and a sprig of Italian parsley.

• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com)