I make very thin crepes using batter made of 500 grams of flour, 3 eggs and 250 ml of milk. They turn out thin, soft and pliable. My wife on the other hand remembers fondly her mothers crepes, which used to be a bit thicker and had a bit of crunch.
How should I modify my recipe or technique to make them more like that? I'm guessing using more fat (I try to use as little as possible) could help, but then I run into problems spreading the batter over the pan surface.
A crisp crepe is less about the recipe and more about the cooking technique. You simply need to leave it a little longer before flipping it, allowing the edges to crisp. A little more oil than usual will help, but it should still only be a thin coating wiped on with a paper towel.
To make a thicker crepe, simply use less liquid. You can also look at using alternative flours like buckwheat which alter the texture.
If you're not filling the crepe: just cook it a little longer. If you are filling the crepe: Depending on what you're filling the crepe with, you can put in the oven for a few minutes after it's filled. This way, it will be soft and flexible when you're filling it but will get crispier after it's filled.
Less eggs or none. Just as with cookies, eggs will make them cakier.
And lower temperature longer cooking time will help too as it gives time for the batter to spread out and evaporate moisture.
Corn syrup instead of sugar helps as granulated sugar holds water.
The easiest, surefire way, is to make them ahead of time, let them dry a bit, fill and roll, refry on hot griddle.
