Technically, a crêpe is a thin pancake that's made in a special crêpe pan or on a griddle. The batter is made ahead so that the flour swells and the air from beating dissipates. Crêpes are fried in butter and either sprinkled with sugar or filled with more elaborate toppings like ham, cheese and eggs.

A galette is a form of crêpe made with buckwheat flour. But the word is also used to describe many flat round cakes of various sizes, including potato pancakes and open-faced fruit tarts with gathered edges. The notion of the galette is said to have been invented in the Neolithic era, when mushy cereal paste was spread over hot stones.

Recipe: White Chocolate Crepes With Fresh Raspberry Sauce (Barbara Kafka Dessert Anthology)
Recipe: Spice Crepes With Meyer Lemon Applesauce (Cook & Eat)