Crêpes….. Oh how I love my Nutella Crêpes!  

Delicious hazelnut spread all over a very thin light pancake dusted with powdered sugar… how can you say no. For those of you who may not know what a crêpe is let me explain, it is a very thin pancake usually made from wheat flour.  

The name crepe is of French origin deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning “curled.”  Crêpes are served with a variety of fillings ranging from savory (crêpes salées) to sweet (crêpes sucrées) add-ins.

In my parents house this dish is so popular, I think it started from when we all lived in France when I was younger and my sisters and brother would eat them all the time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts.  I know that must sound like a lot of crêpes.

My sister and I one day had a great idea of bringing our childhood back to reality.  We ordered a bag of already crêpe mix and started cooking.

The big nifty machine you see above is a crepe griddle, not an industrial one but one that can be used in the safety of your own kitchen.

So please excuse if I don’t have a recipe for the crêpe batter, but you can use any that you can find.  All it is really is the common ingredients include flour, eggs, milk, butter, and a pinch of salt.

Crêpes are made by pouring a thin liquid batter onto a hot frying pan or flat circular hot plate/ griddle, often with a trace of butter or oil on the pan’s surface. The batter is spread evenly over the cooking surface of the pan or plate either by tilting the pan or by distributing the batter with an offset spatula.

All that is needed after the crepe is finished cooking is whatever add-ins you would like.  I chose nutella and powdered sugar and ice cream….. YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy!

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kochtopf/Flickr

For those of you who are asking yourself what is a crespelle, let me tell you….. it is the Italian version for a Crepe.

In 2001, when Albert Di Meglio was about to become the executive chef at Osteria del Circo in Manhattan, the owner, Sirio Maccioni, asked him to travel through Tuscany first on an eating tour.  There he tasted a Monte Bianco, a dessert that begins with a tart shell, then a layer of airy chestnut mousse flecked with candied, crumbled chestnuts and a topping of whipped cream. He was also invited to visit Mr. Maccioni in Montecatini, where his wife, Egidiana Maccioni, made a crespelle, an Italian version of a crepe.

The crespelle was filled with ricotta, a bit of lemon zest, a twist of black pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It was baked for 10 minutes, then topped with toasted pine nuts and brown butter. Crespelle

Makes 10 crepes

(adapted from Albert Di Meglio, Olana)

Time: 55 minutes

For the Crepes:

1/3 cup chestnut flour

1/4 cup pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 large eggs

4 tablespoons butter, melted, more for greasing pans

For the filling:

1 large egg

8 ounces sheep’s milk ricotta or other ricotta

8 ounces herb-and-garlic boursin

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish:

1/4 cup pine nuts

4 tablespoons butter.  

1. For the crespelle: In mixing bowl, combine chestnut flour, pastry flour, salt and lemon zest; set aside. In another bowl, combine milk, cream, eggs and melted butter; whisk until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

2. Butter a 10-inch nonstick or stainless steel skillet. Place over a medium-high flame until well heated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup batter to center of pan, spreading it into a thin disk. Cook until golden brown underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 1 minute. Place on a warm plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat, stacking crepes as they are ready, to make 10 crepes.

3. For the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine egg, ricotta, boursin, Parmigiano-Reggiano and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. For the garnish: Place a dry 10-inch skillet over medium heat, and add pine nuts. Stir until nuts are lightly browned, about 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add butter to pan and raise heat to medium-high. Allow butter to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add nuts and set aside.

5. For assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of filling evenly over entire surface of each crepe. Fold crepe twice to form a triangle. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filing and crepes. Heat in oven until hot, about 10 minutes.

6. To serve, place 2 or more crespelle on a plate and garnish with browned butter and pine nuts.  

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