Walnut cream crêpes with chocolate sauce recipe

Details

• Cuisine: French
• Recipe Type: Dessert
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Step-by-step

1. To make the crêpes: Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt and sugar. Add the beaten eggs, vanilla, citrus zest (if using) and 200ml of milk. Whisk this mixture a little at a time into the rest of the milk.
2. The batter should froth up as you add the liquid. Whisk until smooth, then cover with clingfilm and leave to stand at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes.
3. Start preparing the filling while the crêpe batter is resting. Put the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and grind as finely as you can. Heat the cream in a small pan until almost boiling.
4. Reduce the heat and stir in the ground walnuts along with the rum and orange zest. Cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring gently.
5. The mixture should be a thinly spreadable paste which will thicken to the consistency of soft peanut butter as it cools. Set aside until needed. If it thickens too much while standing, add a few drops of cream as needed.
6. Cook the crêpes: heat a 23-24cm non-stick frying pan and brush lightly with the melted butter. Give the batter a good stir and use a 50ml ladle to dip out a portion of the batter. Swirl the pan, off the heat, as you pour the batter. Aim to spread it out before it sets.
7. Cook over a medium heat until the edges start to colour. When the base is cooked flip it over gently and cook the other side briefly. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest. Stir the batter before each dip and brush the pan with more butter before cooking each crêpe.
8. To make the chocolate sauce: put the cream in a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and shake the pan to spread the chocolate through the cream. Leave for a minute then stir gently to ensure a good mix. Whisk to soft peaks.
9. Choose either step 9 or 10 depending on whether you want to make triangular crêpes or rolls. For triangles: spread 2 tbsp of the filling over half of a crêpe. Fold it over, then fold again so that it is a quarter of its original shape.
10. For rolls, spread the filling in a 10cm band along the middle of a crêpe, going all the way to the top and bottom. Fold one side inwards over the filling, then roll up to form a cylinder.
11. Transfer to a platter and keep warm or allow to cool, depending on when you will serve them.
12. When you are ready to serve, reheat the crêpes on the platter in the microwave, covered with kitchen paper; or cover with foil and reheat in a slow oven (about 140C/gas mark 1). Transfer 2 per person to warmed plates, and spoon some of the sauce over the crêpes to serve.