Caramel Apple Crepes

Yes, you heard it right! Caramel. Apple. Crepes. Three of my favorite words ;) I had the most delicious french toast stuffed with banana and strawberry cream then topped with an amazing pecan caramel sauce. The chef isn't much of a measurement guy and doesn't typically give out recipes, so I was on my own. Because I was so inspired by the sauce, I decided to give it a go myself. I paired it with my apple crepes, and it was sooooooo tasty! We even cheated and ate it as a meal! The apple filling tastes like warm apple pie, and the yummy caramel pecan sauce is so decadent and warm on top. Good stuff!

Serves 2 greedy adults with two crepes leftover ;)

Note: For my crepe recipe, please search the sidebar. Let me know if you have trouble, and I can repost.

Filling Ingredients:

2 jonagold apples, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

a good pinch of kosher salt

2 tbsp. butter

Filling Assembly:

Melt butter, then saute apples on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes until they begin to brown. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, then stir. Add cream then brown sugar. Coat apples in the cream mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 6-8 minutes until sauce reduces and apples are soft.

Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup chopped pecans

4 tbsp. butter

Sauce Assembly:
Melt butter, then add cream and whisk in the brown sugar over medium-high heat. Whisk in vanilla and salt, then remove about 1/4 cup to cool. After a minute or two, quickly whisk the egg yolk into the set aside mixture, then slowly pour it into the pan, whisking to combine (You need to follow this step so you don't scramble your yolk!). Bring to a rolling boil and cook about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the pecans. Serve warm. Reheat in the microwave, stirring before serving.

Crepe Assembly:

Spread approximately 3-5 apple slices on a crepe then roll. Drizzle with pecan caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Chocolate-Hazelnut and Strawberry-Cream Cheese Crepes

There is seriously nothing better than some delicious homemade crepes to start off your morning (or even end your day!). Every now and then I make these for my husband either for brunch or a weekday dinner. The cream cheese/strawberries and chocolate compliment each other beautifully and ooze delightfully out of each crepe. Add some ice cream and you have an amazing dessert! They are light, fluffy thin pancakes that can be served with either savory or sweet accompaniments. This is a great recipe to get your kids involved with; they can be in charge of filling their own crepes and adding different toppings. This recipe is a showstopper, but it is surprisingly simple to make. Just get your basic crepe making technique down, and the possibilities will be endless!

Servings: approximately 10 crepes

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup flour
3 tbsp. melted butter
strawberry sauce (search for this recipe in the sidebar)
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup Nutella
fresh strawberries
whipped cream (search for this recipe in the sidebar)


Assembly:
Combine milk, water, flour, butter and eggs in blender and mix for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. Microwave Nutella and cream cheese in separate bowls until soft (about 20 seconds). In a small, nonstick skillet heated on medium, pour in 1/4 cup of the batter and swirl around the pan. When the sides begin to crinkle, scoop this crepe into the garbage (you always want to toss your first crepe!). Pour another 1/4 cup in and swirl. After 1 minute, flip and cook another 30-45 seconds. Remove to a plate. Repeat until you have used all of your batter. While you are making crepes, spread a tablespoon of Nutella onto a crepe and roll it. Do the same for the cream cheese, adding 1 tablespoon of strawberry sauce before rolling. Garnish with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and serve immediately.