Friday, February 25, 2011

Build-Your-Own Chocolate and Banana Crêpes



The Charles Bridge wasn't built in a day. But this crêpe was.
Remember how I mentioned that Czechs used egg yolks to build the Charles Bridge in my crepes in Prague post? Well, I figured if I was going to make something with eggs, a crêpe would be easier than a bridge. Call me lazy.

And while I constructed this chocolate and banana crêpe without an engineering degree, I did take a French bistro cooking class. I bought the class on a whim one morning. Bleary-eyed, I opened my email inbox, and in between all those Viagra spams was a Groupon that said 50% Off Cooking Class. A pushover for a good deal (and a good meal), I perused the school's offerings and thought, A little coq au vin and crêpe training for the price of a dinner out. Oooh la la. Not fully caffeinated yet, I hastily hit the Buy Now button. Was that wrong? A girl's gotta go by her Groupon intuition, and mine said, How could building crêpes and chocolate sauce from scratch be wrong?

So in the class, for dessert, crêpe construction began. After mixing the batter and frying the crêpes, then heating the chocolate and adding the cream, we laid out the mise en place. From the crêpes, chocolate sauce, sliced bananas, shredded coconut and Grand Marnier whipped cream, we each assembled our own edible edifice. Maybe I should have referred to my Nutella crêpe photo for proper crêpe assemblage since the pillowy whipped cream seemed to take this one over. Oh well. C'est la vie. There's always a next time. In the meantime, if anyone has a bridge to sell me, I'm biting.

Chocolate and Banana Crêpes Recipe (from Chefs, Inc.)

Makes approximately 16 crepes

Crêpe Batter

2 cups flour

1 ½ cups whole milk

4 eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for frying

Pinch salt

½ vanilla bean or few drops vanilla extract (optional)

Assembly

8 ounces semi-sweet or dark baking chocolate (we used bittersweet Ghirardelli chips)

1 cup heavy cream or crème fraiche

3-4 bananas

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well and pour in eggs. Mix well. Slowly pour in milk while continuing to stir. Keep stirring the batter until small bubbles form on the surface. Stir in the butter and mix well. Melt a dot of butter in a non-stick crepe pan and wipe the pan evenly. Keep the paper towel at hand while preparing crepes in case you want to give it another wipe. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter and quickly move pan around so that batter spreads evenly, covering the whole surface with a thin layer. Let cook for about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side for about 30 seconds. Continue until all the batter is used. Stack between sheets of wax paper and set aside.

Break chocolate into small pieces. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the cream, stir well and remove from heat. Place the crepes on individual plates. Line one half of each crepe with chocolate and then banana slices. Fold the empty half over. Pour more chocolate on top and sprinkle with coconut and a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Cook’s Note: The batter does not need to stand before using it. However, if you do let it stand, you will probably need to add 1 tablespoon of water before using it. General rule of thumb: if it seems thicker than cream, add a little more water, and/or a little more milk.

Related Posts:

Travel Bite: Crêpes (Palačinkas), Prague

Travel Bite: Boulangerie, Rue Cler, Paris

Travel Bite: A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour

11 comments:

  1. Clicking and buying Groupon deals uncaffienated is far more prudent than leaving stupid, irrelevant comments on blog sites before one is fully awake. Which what I am doing right now! GREG

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, sometimes the best things arrive when decided on a whim! And chocolate banana crepes are definitely a good thing. Hope my spontaneously booked Zen Buddhist retreat next month goes as well - if only crepes were involved...

    ReplyDelete
  3. groupon... get you every time, i hold myself to only buying things i can touch and feel, wait that didn't sound right. crepes look like the class was worth it, bananas and chocolate- you can't go wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can't tell you how many groupons I've bought on a whim and haven't used... these look awesome! like the addition of coconut

    ReplyDelete
  5. Going with the gut is generally the right way to go - especially when the gut gets fed with goood grub.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey- you can come make French food with me anytime!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This crêpe looks so light and ethereal; just the way I like them! I just would be happy with a few of those with some sugar or jam the way we would eat them as kids. I am noting your recipe as I can tell it is a GOOD ONE~

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ahhh! The only Groupon advertisements I get are for hamburgers. The large print in the ad says, "Hot Dang!" You travel in MUCH more interesting Groupon circles than me, obviously:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your crepes look fantastic -- paper thin and perfect! Love the filling you used also!

    ReplyDelete
  10. These look decadent and delicious. By the way, did you notice that you have more dessert recipes than any other kind. Hmmm...

    ReplyDelete