This was the first dish I have ever had returned to the kitchen. I guess there always had to be a first. Although it is heartbreaking. I spent hours trying to get this right, and even though I was not sure about it, it still hurts that it was returned. At least it was at TAFE.
Honestly though, I was surprised only one was returned. And it was returned early in the dessert service, so my heart was pounding as the plates returned. But they were empty. Licked clean. Major relief.
I thought twice about putting up a recipe that had been returned so vehemently: the pancakes were too thin, the filling was just gooey stuff and the sauce was revolting.
It was the last line that made it such an easy decision. The sauce, by unanimous vote within the kitchen, and the other customers, was superb, if a little sweet. But what do you expect from a dessert named after a really wicked guy.
Decadence. Booze. Sugar and Butter.
The filling has been tweaked, and the crêpes themselves were good (and were meant to be thin). The panna cotta was exceptionally good that night, too. So perhaps that had an influence on this woman.
We served the crêpes and filling cold with a warmed sauce. This makes it easy to prepare at a dinner party. Well before the guests arrive, you can arrange the filling on the crêpe, and then at service make up the sauce (or just warm it again) and pour over. Of course, on a cold winter's night, it could be cooked all at once, serving everything fresh and warm.
Ingredients
(5 portions)
Method
First thing is to make the crêpe batter. Sift the flour, sugar and salt together. Mix the egg through. Add the milk, stirring continuously to make a smooth batter. Strain the mixture. Adding the oil and whisk quickly. Allow mixture to stand for 1 hour. This is important, because it relaxes the gluten in the flour; it will prevent the crêpes shrinking during cooking.
If you want to serve this dish warm, this hour is your time. Otherwise, make the filling immediately.
Melt the chocolate, either over a water bath or in the microwave. Whisk (or mix) together all the filling ingredients. Incorporate as much air as possible for a light, fluffy effect.
For the sauce, warm the butter, sugar, cornflour and water in a large saucepan. Stir gently until the butter has melted. Add half the Crème de Cacao. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining alcohol.
Cook the crêpes until they are golden brown. Allow to cool if so desired.
Serving Suggestion: Place a dollop of the filling in the centre of the crêpe. Spread as a wide band across the crêpe. Fold the crêpe along the line of filling. Pour the sauce over the crêpe. Flambé, if desired.