chocolate browned butter crepes, recipe no. 7

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So, this recipe for chocolate browned butter crepes doesn't actually fall after the Sour Cream Sherbet in the cookbook.... yes, you caught me, I'm working my way through Johnny Iuzzini's "Sugar Rush" OUT OF ORDER! (gasp!) But, I had a good reason. My youngest brother-in-law got married, we had a nearly impromptu ceremony at our house, and we needed a cake. I picked Iuzzini's "No-tella" Cashew Crepe Cake, and so I had to learn how to make these delicious chocolate browned butter crepes at the same time. Sometimes it pays to go out of order.

These crepes absolutely do not need to be part of a cake. You could totally make them for a special brunch or holiday breakfast. They freeze well, too, so you could even have them as a treat on a school day. Last day of school breakfast, anyone?

Like pancakes, your first few crepes won't be great. Maybe they won't be the right shape or maybe they'll be unevenly cooked. Sometimes they fold over on themselves when you're flipping them. You know what that's called? A tasty mistake. Gobble that deformed crepe right up!

But, as you get the pan to the right temperature, get the hang of pouring the batter and flipping the crepe, the final product will get better and better. This recipe does take a little bit of planning... don't they all? You make the batter the day before you plan to use it. This is according to the gluten-ful recipe in the cookbook, but I find that most GF batters turn out better after an overnight rest in the fridge, so goodie goodie for us gluten-free folk.

Iuzzini's recipe calls for 1/4 cup (60 g) of whiskey or bourbon. You'll note that I swapped this for an extra cup of milk. Feel free to make it how you like it. If you use the booze, comment below and let me know how it is! And, if you're making these as part of the cake, click HERE to continue to the cake recipe.

Chocolate Browned Butter Crepes, makes 16-20 crepes

  • 3/4 cup gluten-free flour (74 g)
  • 1/2 cup sifted dark cocoa powder (20 g, I like Droste)
  • 3 TBSPs granulated sugar (36 g)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (2 g)
  • 1 -1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature (240 g)
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup melted cool browned butter (60 g)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature (120 g)
  • Vegetable oil/cooking spray

Begin by making the browned butter. Browned butter might be something you've only enjoyed in restaurants, but once you make it, you'll wonder why you don't make it more often. Browned butter takes on a nutty and warm flavor. (It's used in my Gluten Free Dutch Baby recipe, too!) To make the amount needed for this recipe, melt 1 stick (8TBSPs) unsalted butter over medium heat. Whisk frequently as the butter melts and turns deep brown. After about 5 minutes or so, you'll see dark solids separating out from the butter. Strain butter through a fine mesh strainer and let strained melted butter cool to room temperature. You should have approx. 1/4 cup melted butter. If you ended up with extra-- goodie for you!-- this will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.

As your browned butter cools to room temperature, take out your blender and begin to mix the crepe batter. Combine milk and eggs (and whiskey or bourbon if you are using it) in the blender, mixing until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, cocoa, sugar and salt. With the blender on low, add the flour mixture one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until fully-combined. 

Next, with your blender still running slowly, drizzle in your cooled brown butter and heavy cream. Blend all ingredients for about 1 minute to fully combine all ingredients. Pour batter into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

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Ready for breakfast? Great. Make sure your hands are clean because you'll actually be using them to flip your crepes. Remove crepe batter from the fridge and give it a gentle stir. Lightly spray an (at least) 8" nonstick pan with vegetable oil and heat pan over medium heat. Using one had, lift pan from the stovetop and tilt slightly. With your other hand, pour a small ladle-full (approx. 2 TBSPs) of crepe batter onto the pan, swirling the pan to spread the batter out across the pan's surface in a thin, thin layer. This takes some practice and like I said before, be prepared for your first few crepes to be uneven and funny-shaped. Hang in there though, you'll get close to a circle soon. (And, shhhh, if you're making the "No-tella" Cashew Crepe Cake, you can always trim off the crazy edges to make it look like a perfect circle... no one will know the difference.)

Return pan to the stovetop and wait about a minute until the cooking crepe begins to crisp up slightly on the edges and the surface looks dry. Gently run a small silicone spatula under the edges of the crepe and lift the crepe up slightly on one side. Using both hands, pick the crepe up with your fingertips and flip it quickly to the other side. Cook crepe approximately one more minute on this side and transfer to a plate to cool. Adjust stovetop temperature if crepes are cooking too slowly or too quickly.

After every 5th or so crepe, use a paper towel to gently wipe down the pan's surface and add a light spray of vegetable oil as needed. Enjoy crepes with butter, powdered sugar, you name it.... or let them cool and use them in the "No-tella" Cashew Crepe Cake like I did.

SURVEY SAYS...

CHOCOLATE BROWNED BUTTER CREPES -- Recipe No. 7
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: easy, just takes some planning
WOW FACTOR: perfect for brunch and something a little more special than the already special traditional crepe