Hazelnut Cream Crepes Food

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the crepe batter: Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, milk and cream in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, hazelnut meal, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in some of the milk mixture. Gently whisk from the center of the well, making a thick, smooth batter. Then, while whisking, gradually add remaining milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and butter. (Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed until smooth.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
• Prepare the chocolate cream: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set a fine mesh sieve over the bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in some of the milk to create a thick paste. Gradually add remaining milk while whisking until mixture is smooth and well-combined. Whisk in egg yolks and add butter.
• Cook milk mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly and occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Once the mixture comes to a boil and becomes very thick, about 5 minutes, whisk it vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press hot cream mixture through the sieve into the bowl with the chocolate. Let it stand for 2 minutes, then mix it until smooth and well-combined. Add brandy or coffee and stir to combine. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it has cooled to about room temperature and is smooth and silky. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed into the surface of the custard, and chill until ready to use.
• Cook the crepes: Melt a little bit of butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and let the pan get hot. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add a scant 1/4 cup (about 3 tablespoons) crepe batter to one side of the pan. (You don't want to use too much batter or you'll have thick crepes.) Quickly tilt and swirl the pan to spread the batter to an even thickness across the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides.
• Return the pan to the heat and cook crepe until very lightly golden and set on one side, about 45 seconds. Tuck a small offset spatula under the edge of the crepe, grab onto it with your fingers, and quickly flip it over. Cook until light golden brown on the other side, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Slip crepe onto a rack to cool. Once crepes are cool, transfer them to a baking sheet and cover with a light towel to keep them from drying out. Continue with remaining batter, occasionally wiping out the skillet with a paper towel and very lightly buttering the skillet every few crepes as needed. You should have 20 to 24. (You need 20 for the cake.)
• To assemble, stir the cream until smooth. Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an offset spatula, cover with a thin layer of chocolate cream (2 to 3 tablespoons), leaving a 1/4-inch border. Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
• To serve, top with whipped cream, nuts and dust with cocoa.

HAZELNUT CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Put cream into mixing bowl and mix on high until soft peaks form, about 4 minute Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Whisk egg whites and sugar in a bowl while in a pan of boiling water and temp reaches 160 deg(this helps the sugar fully dissolve).
• Attach bowl to mixer with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until slightly cooled and stiff peaks form (but not dry), about 5 minutes.
• Switch from whisk attachment to paddle attachment. Set on medium and add butter, several pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, hazelnut cream (you can add 1 tsp hazelnut syrup **not extract** to the "1/3 cup heavy cream", if you cannot find hazelnut cream), salt; mix until mixture comes together.
• Fold in the whipped cream that has been put aside in the fridge.
• Fill your favourite pastry.
• This saves well, refrigerated, but will firm up. Best to let it come to room temperature when using later.
• Time includes the time it takes for whipped cream to set up in the fridge.

WARM CRêPES WITH LEMON ZEST AND HAZELNUT BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, 2 tablespoons melted butter, lemon zest, and Frangelico together in a medium bowl.
• Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, and stir in the salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Slowly pour the liquid into the well, whisking all the time at the center. Once the batter starts to incorporate, slowly bring in more dry ingredients, working from the center out.
• Cover the bowl, and let the batter rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Heat two black iron crêpe pans or 6-inch nonstick pans over medium heat. Swirl about 1/2 teaspoon butter in each pan, and when it foams, swirl in 2 tablespoons crêpe batter, moving the pan to coat the bottom with a thin layer of batter. Cook the crêpe 30 seconds or so, until the edges are golden brown. Flip the crêpe over and cook another 30 seconds on the second side. The crêpes should be thin and lacy.
• Remove the crêpes from the pans onto a warm plate. Stack the crêpes as you go, keeping them covered with a towel. Repeat until you have twelve crêpes.
• Lightly butter a baking sheet. Place the crêpes on a work surface with the pretty, brown lacy sides down. Spoon 1 tablespoon hazelnut cream onto the lower-right quadrant of each crêpe. Fold the crêpes loosely in half over the hazelnut cream, and then fold them again, loosely into quarters (with the unfilled quarter on top). Top each crêpe with a teaspoon of hazelnut cream, and place them all on the buttered baking sheet.
• Bake the crêpes in the oven 6 to 8 minutes, until they start to crisp around the edges.
• Arrange the crêpes on a large warm platter, and spoon the hazelnut-brown butter sauce over them.
• Place the hazelnuts, sugar, and salt in a food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Add the flour, butter, egg, egg yolk, and Frangelico. Pulse until completely combined.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell nutty. When the nuts have cooled, chop them coarsely.
• Dissolve the sugar in the Frangelico in a small bowl.
• Cook the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Once the butter has browned, remove the pan from the heat and wait a minute or two. Add the nuts, salt, and the Frangelico mixture, making sure to scrape all the Frangelico and sugar into the pan. (Be careful, the butter might foam up a little, and it's very hot.)
• Two things about your crêpe pan are extremely important: temperature and "seasoning." The pan needs to be hot enough that the batter starts cooking immediately but not so hot that the crêpes burn. A thin film of butter will season the pan so the crêpes cook evenly and don't stick. Often one or two practice crêpes are needed; the fat in the batter will create the seasoning while letting you see if the pan's temperature needs adjustment.
• You can make the crêpe batter and the hazelnut cream a day ahead. (You must make the batter at least 2 hours ahead.) Fill the crêpes an hour or so ahead, and then pop them in the oven just before serving.

HAZELNUT CREAM CREPES

Steps:

• For crepes: 1. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture. 2. Whisk milk and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. 3. Add to flour mixture; whisk to blend. Cover; let stand at room temperature 2 hours. 4. Heat nonstick skillet with 7-inch-diameter bottom over medium-high heat. 5. Brush bottom with melted butter. 6. Pour generous 3 tablespoons batter into skillet; swirl to coat bottom. Cook until edges are light brown, about 30 seconds. 7. Loosen edges gently with spatula and turn crepe over. Cook until bottom begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. 8. Transfer to plate. Cover with paper towel. Repeat to make 12 crepes total, brushing skillet with melted butter as needed and stacking crepes between paper towels. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) For hazelnut cream: 1. Using on/off turns, finely chop nuts with sugar in processor. Add remaining ingredients; process until blended. 2. Butter rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 crepe on work surface. Place 1 tablespoon hazelnut cream in lower right quarter of crepe. 3. Fold crepe in half over cream, then into quarters, folding to show layers. 4. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Place 1 teaspoon hazelnut cream atop crepe. 5. Repeat with remaining 11 crepes and hazelnut cream. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.) 6. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake until crepes are hot and crisp around edges, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: 1. Stir Frangelico and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. 2. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat; cook until butter browns, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. 3. Remove from heat. Mix in Frangelico mixture, nuts, and salt. 4. Divide crepes among 4 plates. Spoon sauce over and around crepes.