Crêpes à la Neige is an Acadian dish. It is thin crêpes made with snow in the batter, as a replacement for eggs. They are served with molasses or grated maple sugar.
You may still hear the old Acadian saying, “il est tombé assez de neige pour faire des crêpes”, meaning “there has been enough snow to make crêpes!”
They are traditionally served at Candlemas, often with a prize such as a coin, a ring or a button hidden in one of them.
Cooking Tips
1 cup (5 oz) of flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup (300 ml) of milk
1 cup of fresh snow, packed
Mix the flour and salt together, then add the milk and fold in the snow.
Put by spoonfuls onto a hot greased surface to cook, about 2 minutes a side.
Best cooked thinly.
Literature & Lore
“Everywhere in Acadia it was traditional to make crepes at Candlemas. One put inside them various objects such as a medal, a ring, a button, a coin, etc., which symbolized the future lives of the guests. Since at Candlemas time eggs were rare, one replaced them with fresh snow and the results were marvellous. To this day, when a great deal of snow has fallen, some people say, “there’s enough snow to make crepes!” Many to this day are still in the habit of saying “Crêpes à la Neige” instead of “Crêpes aux oeufs”, even if they are not using snow.” — Boudreau, Marielle and Melvin Gallant. Le Guide de la Cuisine Traditionelle Acadienne. Montréal, Québec: Stanké. 1980. Page 183.