Decadent Dessert

Kudos to Chef Shawn. His latest submission is more than anyone could ask for. When we received his latest submission  at our corporate offices we went "BANANAS"!!!!   No kidding!   Once the staff saw this, they were anxious to get into the test kitchen to see if they could recreate it. We've since run out of crepes but we can tell you.........It ranks at the top.

Check it out yourself. His unabridged submission follows.

Happy Holiday Hangover,
         I was charged with putting together a fantastic ending to our holiday meal this year. Okay, that is a little bit of a stretch, I volunteered. However I like to think everyone was counting on me to wow them. I like the competitive edge it brings to cooking and it gets the creative juices flowing. I pondered on what to do. Should I update a classic, like fruit cake, but make into something people actually liked. I thought about what I had as a child, and all I came up with was cookies, cookies, and more cookies. After having a great meal, we would simply place a plate of cookies on the table. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I had been eating those cookies for at least a week or so at that point. I was quite the detective as a young man. I had figure out all of Mom's hiding places. Which, now that I think of it, explains my weight issues as a child and having to shop in the “Husky” jeans department at JC Penny’s. I digress. Here is what I came up with.

Banana Nutella Crepes

For the crepes:

2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt, preferable gray salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

For the filling:

4 bananas
3 tablespoons butter
2 fresh bay leaves
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 small jar Nutella - Found right next to the peanut butter at the mega mart.

To Make the crepes:

Place all of the ingredients into a blender, except the hazelnuts, and blend of high for 15 seconds or until smooth. Careful not to overdo it. Let the batter rest in the fridge for an hour.

In a non-stick pan place enough of the batter to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer, using the pan to spread the batter evenly and ensuring a thin crepe. Sprinkle the top with the chopped hazelnuts, cook for about one minute until lightly brown. Flip and cook for another 15 seconds. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Just make sure the heat is hot enough to brown the crepes, but not too hot to overcook them. I always screw up the first one. Set aside when done. I place them in between parchment paper to prevent sticking.

To Make the filling:

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat melt the butter and cook until lightly browned, add the bay leaves to the hot butter and cook until it crackles slightly, add the lemon juice and sugar, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Add the bananas and orange juice and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes so the flavors incorporate and the bananas are hot but not mushy. Add the blackberries.

Stir gently to combine. Set this mixture aside and let cool slightly.

Put them together:

Lay a crepe hazelnut side down and spoon the nutella onto the 1 quarter of the crepe, fold into quarters and place on the serving dish. Spoon the filling and residual sauce over the crepe and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.