A Swaggering 'Nutella' & Banana Crêpe

As you may or may not know, I recently tried my hand at making crêpes — and if I do say so myself, they were superb. So, feeling a bit like the cat's pajamas and the bee's knees, I made them again. This time I opted for a different recipe; last time they were savory, this time they were sweet. Excuse me, rather they were crêpes sucrées.

The batter is the same premise as last time, albeit a little thinner, which means you definitely need to work fast. Ages ago I bought one of those trowel-looking things from Sûr la Table because that's what the fancy crêpe makers use. However, I still have not pulled it out of the drawer. Instead, it is much more efficient to just pick the pan up and tilt it every which direction.

My husband, who would prefer to be called Michael, has developed a keen interest in crêpe making since my 'experiment' began. Namely, he wants to flip them over in the pan. He thinks that my spatula use is a bit pathetic and something more suitable for a Nancy-Girl. Anyway, here I am making crêpes, minding my own P&Qs, when he saunters on into the kitchen and basically overtakes the operation. And it worked — he flipped them over effortlessly after a few tries. Well, La-Di-Da, I am sticking with my spatula. (I'll tell you right now, there is no way in hell I'm going to try flipping them. The pan is way too awkward and heavy for me. Besides, I have my pride.)

At any rate, I stood there laughing at him, saying, 'Well, you're pretty pleased with yourself ... walking around here with what, what's the word for it?' And he says, without missing a beat, 'swagger — it's called swagger.' And I swear, I have never heard a more apt description in my life. It was hilarious.

After the crêpes were made, we spread a little 'Nutella' on them, some sliced bananas, and we were in heaven. I had no idea that combination was so good. We assembled 3 in all — one for me, one for Michael, and one for Miss Milia. Although, Emilia preferred running around the living room with her little farm animal set, stopping by for the occasional bite, and shouting, 'Yummy!' each time. Which meant that after Michael and I polished off our own, we finished hers. I will tell you now, as divine as these are, one is enough; any more and you may be sick.

I have been referring to 'Nutella' with quotes around it because I refuse to use the actual Nutella you find here in the states. But it is what everybody recognizes as the chocolate-hazelnut spread. For some reason, the makers of Nutella have decided it is a good idea to put partially-hydrogenated oil in the American version, and I'll be damned if I'm going to buy it. So what I did was buy the brand Loacker. It is Italian and you can find it at Whole Foods or any other specialty food shop, and it is well worth the search. You can also find it on-line at http://www.spud.com/ (if you live in the Seattle area), or http://www.parthenonfoods.com/.

For the crêpe batter:

3 large eggs

⅔ cup whole milk

½ cup water

¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

1 tablespoon canola oil

For each Banana-Hazelnut Crêpe:

1 ½ tablespoons hazelnut spread

½ small, firm but ripe banana, thinly sliced

To make the batter, whisk together the eggs, milk, and water. Add the flour, sugar, salt, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and oil, whisking to remove as many lumps as possible. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat your crêpe pan over medium heat until quite hot. Lightly brush with butter and scoop about 3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan. Swirl around immediately so that the batter is evenly distributed. Pour any excess back into the bowl. Cook about 2 minutes, until lightly browned in spots. Use your spatula, and flip it over, cooking for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter, always buttering in between. You will end up with quite a stack, so remember that the extras keep nicely in the fridge for a few days until needed again.

To assemble: reheat the crêpe in the pan, quickly spread your non-hydrogenated oil Loacker, creating an even layer. Scatter half the banana slices. Fold the crêpe in half and then in quarters. Put the crêpe on a plate, arrange the remaining bananas, and serve at once. (Recipe from Williams-Sonoma's Paris: Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World, by Marlena Spieler, Oxmoor House Publishers, 2004.)