Crêpe Gâteau With Strawberry Preserves And Crème Fraîche Food

DARKEST CHOCOLATE CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until completely melted. Set aside.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Lightly coat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with melted butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove pan from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook, flipping once, until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side.
• Slide crepe onto a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed. Crepes can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.
• Place a crepe on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with about 3 tablespoons hazelnut filling. Top with another crepe. Continue layering with hazelnut filling and crepes, using about 32 crepes and ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon 1/2 cup glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges. Spread remaining glaze around sides of cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted and candied hazelnuts.

CREPE GATEAU WITH STRAWBERRY PRESERVES AND CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the salt. Make a well in the center, and fill it with the eggs, egg yolks, and a few tablespoons milk; whisk until a thick, smooth paste forms. Add the remaining milk, and whisk until no lumps remain.
• Melt the butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet with a 6-inch-diameter bottom; pour into the batter, leaving a coating of butter in skillet. Let the batter rest at room temperature 1 hour.
• Over medium heat, warm skillet thoroughly. Lift skillet off heat; stir batter, and carefully ladle 3 tablespoons into skillet. Immediately rotate skillet so batter is thinly spread evenly across skillet to the edges. Return skillet to heat; cook crepe until edges are golden brown and lacy, about 1 minute. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, carefully flip crepe; cook other side until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Slide crepe out of skillet onto a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking cooked crepes on top of one another. Let crepes cool completely.
• Prepare an ice bath. Place creme fraiche in a medium bowl set in ice bath. Add vanilla and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar to bowl; whip until mixture holds a line drawn by the whisk.
• To assemble: Place a crepe on a serving platter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon preserves on top; using an offset spatula, spread in a thin layer over crepe, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Cover with another crepe, stacking neatly. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons creme fraiche mixture evenly over crepe, again leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Continue alternating fillings with crepes, finishing with a crepe on top. If necessary, insert two long toothpicks through the layers to keep gateau in place. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Remove toothpicks; cut into wedges before serving.

CREAMY STRAWBERRY CREPES

Steps:

• Place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour, and salt in the pitcher of a blender; blend until smooth.
• Blend the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp towel and set aside.
• To serve, fill each crepe with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries.

GâTEAU DE CRêPES

Steps:

• The day before, make the crepe batter and the pastry cream. Batter: In a small pan, cook the butter until brown like hazelnuts. Set aside. In another small pan, heat the milk until steaming; allow to cool for 10 minutes. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Pastry cream: Bring the milk with the vanilla bean (and scrapings) to a boil, then set aside for 10 minutes; remove bean. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished pastry cream and be placed in this ice bath.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, then place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press the pastry cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the small bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until the temperature reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Stir in the butter. When completely cool, cover and refrigerate.
• Assemble the cake the next day: Bring the batter to room temperature. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Swab the surface with the oil, then add about 3 tablespoons batter and swirl to cover the surface. Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crepe with your fingers. Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds. Flip the crepe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 20 perfect crepes.
• Pass the pastry cream through a sieve once more. Whip the heavy cream with the tablespoon sugar and the Kirsch. It won't hold peaks. Fold it into the pastry cream.
• Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an icing spatula, completely cover with a thin layer of pastry cream (about 1/4 cup). Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set out for 30 minutes before serving. If you have a blowtorch for crème brûlée, sprinkle the top crepe with 2 tablespoons sugar and caramelize with the torch; otherwise, dust with confectioners' sugar. Slice like a cake. Batter adapted from ''Joy of Cooking.'' Pastry cream adapted from ''Desserts,'' by Pierre Hermé and Dorie Greenspan.

SPINACH-GRUYERE GATEAU DE CREPES

Steps:

• Make the bechamel: Place onion and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk in a slow, steady stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup Gruyere, and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat, add nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, and season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out any excess liquid, and coarsely chop.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bechamel. Mix remaining bechamel and spinach in a medium bowl. Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 crepe on center of sheet, and top with 3 tablespoons spinach mixture, spreading evenly. Top with another crepe, then 3 tablespoons spinach mixture. Repeat with remaining crepes and spinach mixture, ending with a crepe. Spread reserved bechamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining cup cheese. Bake until cheese melts and turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer gateau de crepes to a platter. Cut into wedges, and serve warm.

GLUTEN-FREE CREPES

Steps:

• Put eggs, milk, flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a blender; process until smooth and combined. Refrigerate until cool and thickened slightly, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet (pan should measure 7 to 8 inches across the bottom) over medium, and brush with butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly; if batter is too thick and does not spread evenly to edges of pan, whisk in more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and edges lift from pan, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Slip a spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture; use spatula to unfold or rearrange crepe, as needed. Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a plate, and cover. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter every 2 or 3 crepes, or as needed.

CRêPE GâTEAU WITH STRAWBERRY PRESERVES AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the salt. Make a well in the center, and fill it with the eggs, egg yolks, and a few tablespoons milk; whisk until a thick, smooth paste forms. Add the remaining milk, and whisk until no lumps remain.
• Melt the butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet with a 6-inch-diameter bottom; pour into the batter, leaving a coating of butter in the skillet. Let the batter rest at room temperature at least 1 hour.
• Over medium heat, warm the skillet thoroughly. Lift the skillet off the heat; stir the batter, and carefully ladle 3 tablespoons into the skillet. Immediately rotate the skillet so the batter is thinly spread evenly across the bottom to the edges. Return the skillet to the heat; cook the crêpe until the edges are golden brown and lacy, about 1 minute. Carefully flip the crêpe; cook the other side until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Slide the crêpe out of the skillet onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the cooked crêpes on top of one another. Let the crêpes cool completely.
• Place the crème fraîche in a medium bowl set in an ice-water bath. Add the vanilla and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; whip until the mixture holds a line drawn by the whisk.
• To assemble: Place 1 crêpe on a serving platter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon preserves on top; using an offset spatula, spread in a thin layer over the crêpe, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover with another crêpe, stacking neatly. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons crème-fraîche mixture evenly over the crêpe, again leaving a 1/2-inch border. Continue alternating fillings with crêpes, finishing with a crêpe on top. If necessary, insert 2 long toothpicks through the layers to keep the gâteau in place. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Remove the toothpicks; cut into wedges before serving.