Nutella-Ricotta Crepes

I love this stuff.

It makes a celebrity appearance in this delicious, rich recipe.

These crepes absolutely scrumptous when filled with your own homemade ricotta cheese.  A hint of the lemon flavor whispers through in each bite.

This crepe recipe is an adaptation from Heather at Gathering Spriggs.  I think of the crepe as the French's sexy answer to the American pancake.  Crepes are thin, light and airy and highly adaptable for all types of fillings from fruits to cheeses to more savory concoctions.

Basic Crepe

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups half-and-half

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vegetable or Grapeseed oil for coating pan

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.  Form a little well (indentation) in the center of the dry ingredients; crack the eggs into the well.  Mix thoroughly.  Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking all the while.  (I used a large spaced-apart whisk as opposed to a "tighter" whisk; the batter is thick and won't get stuck inside a larger whisk.)  Add vanilla and whisk a little more.

Heat a large non-stick skillet.  Add a smidge of oil to the hot pan and carefully use a wadded-up paper towel to spread it around evenly.  (Please don't burn yourself!)  If there are visible splashes of oil in the skillet, your crepes will be lumpy.

Scoop 1/4 cup of batter out of the bowl with a measuring cup.  Slowly pour the batter into the heated, oiled skillet.  Immediately swirl the pan, evenly distributing the batter into a wide circle.  Let it set for about 30-45 seconds.  Using a rubber spatula, lift up the edges of the crepe.  Then loosen the entire crepe and flip.  Let the crepe cook on the other side for about a minute or until golden brown.  Transfer crepe to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, carefully oiling skillet between each crepe.

Makes 6 eight-inch crepes.

Ricotta Filling

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons powdered sugar

Nutella Sauce

1/3 cup Nutella

2 tablespoons milk

In a saucepan over low heat, slowly heat Nutella. (Don't burn it.  If you do, the Nutella police will show up at your door.)  Whisk in the milk. 

To prepare:  spoon about 1/3 cup of ricotta filling onto the edge of a crepe.  Roll the crepe.  Repeat with remaining crepes and filling.  Place rolled crepes side-by-side in a serving dish.

Drizzle the warmed Nutella sauce over the rolled crepes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve immediately.