PERFECT ANYTIME OF YEAR

BANANA NUTELLA CREPES

Ingredients

For the crepes:

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt, preferable gray salt

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons hazelnuts, peeled, toasted, chopped

For the filling:

4 bananas

3 tablespoons butter

2 fresh bay leaves

2 lemons, juiced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup tangerine juice

1 cup fresh raspberries, optional

1 small jar hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 lemons, juiced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Confectioners' sugar, for serving

For the crepes:

Directions

In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a separate bowl mix the flour and salt. In a small sauce pot or saute pan over low heat melt the butter and cook it until it is light brown.

Add the egg and milk mix to the flour and salt and mix well so that there are no large clumps. Add the browned butter and mix to incorporate, being careful not to overwork batter. The batter should just coat the back of a spoon. If seems too thick, thin it out with a little more milk or water. Let the batter rest for 1 hour prior to cooking crepes.

For the filling:

Peel bananas, cut in half lengthwise and then cut 1/2-inch slices widthwise. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat melt the butter and cook until lightly browned, add the bay leaves to the hot butter and cook until it crackles slightly, add the lemon juice and sugar, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Add the bananas and tangerine juice and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes so the flavors incorporate and the bananas are hot but not mushy. Add the raspberries, if using. Stir gently to combine. Set this mixture aside and let cool slightly.

After the crepe batter has rested for 1 hour, heat 1 (10-inch) nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 ounces of the crepe batter to the pan, remove pan from heat and tilt slightly to spread the batter over the entire pan. Return to heat and sprinkle the top with 1 teaspoon of the chopped hazelnuts. Cook for about 1 minute until the bottom side is lightly browned. With your fingertips and a spatula, carefully flip crepe and cook the second side for about 15 seconds. Set the cooked crepe on a baking sheet and repeat until you have used all of the batter. You should be able to produce 8 to 10 crepes.

Lay the crepes out on a flat surface. Spread each crepe with about 1 tablespoon of hazelnut spread. In one fourth of the crepe, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the banana mixture and fold the crepe over in half and in half again so that it has a triangular shape. Repeat this with all of the crepes.

For the sauce:

In a small saute pan over medium heat melt the butter and cook until lightly browned, add the lemon juice and brown sugar and stir to dissolve.

Serve the crepes on a plate with the sauce spooned over the top and sprinkled with the remaining chopped hazelnuts and confectioners' sugar.