Walnut & Rum-Raisin Crepes
Source of Recipe
Source: pastrywiz.com
Recipe Introduction
Walnut & Rum-Raisin Crepes with Whipped-Cream Chocolate
These crepes, known as gundel paliscinta, are deep, dark, and delicious,
and the sauce is both unusual and outstanding -- the whipped cream folded
in at the end gives it an amazing texture. In many Hungarian restaurants,
these crepes are flamed with Grand Marnier when presented. While it is a dramatic touch, I really think it's gilding the lily.
List of Ingredients
Sauce
Yield: about 20 crepes, with filling for 18, and 2 cups sauce.
For the crepes:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cold milk
1/2 cup cold sparkling water; more as needed
1/2 tsp. salt
6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
Melted butter for frying the crepes
For the filling:
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups walnut halves, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs. chopped candied orange peel or 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. cocoa powder
Pinch salt
For the sauce:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 cup milk
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Recipe
To make the crepes
Whisk the eggs with the cold milk, sparkling water, and salt. Whisking
steadily, sift the flour over the egg mixture in a gradual but steady
"rain" to make a smooth batter. Let sit for 20 min. and then add more
sparkling water if necessary to get the consistency of heavy cream.
Heat a 6- to 8-inch crepe or omelet pan (nonstick is fine but not
necessary). Brush the pan with melted butter. Tilting and turning the pan
with one hand, pour in just enough batter to cover the pan's surface, about
3 Tbs. Let the crepe cook until golden on the underside, 1 to 2 min. (don't
undercook them) and then flip or turn the crepe with a small spatula or
your fingers to cook the other side until just set, about 30 seconds more.
The side cooked first will be prettier and should be the outer side when
filling the crepes.
Adjust the heat so you get a definite sizzle when adding the batter, and
thin the batter if the crepes are too thick and flabby. Stack the finished
crepes on a plate as you go. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until
using, up to three days ahead. You can also wrap the crepes tightly and
freeze them (put a piece of waxed paper between each one for easier
separation).
To make the filling
Heat the rum and soak the raisins in it while assembling the other
ingredients. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and sugar to a boil,
stirring, and add the walnuts, candied orange peel (or zest), cinnamon,
cocoa powder, and salt. Bring back to a boil, stirring, and cook until the
liquid has reduced almost completely but the nuts are still well coated and
glossy, about 3 min. Stir in the raisins and rum and cool. You can make
this filling a day or two ahead and refrigerate it until time to use.
For the chocolate sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, and salt.
Whisking steadily, slowly pour in the milk to make a smooth paste. Bring
the mixture to a boil and cook about 30 seconds to cook off the raw floury
taste, and then remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir
until smooth, cover loosely with plastic, and cool to room temperature,
stirring occasionally to help it cool and prevent a skin from forming. Just
before serving the crepes, whip the cream until it just forms soft peaks.
Stir about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the chocolate to lighten
it, and then carefully fold the rest of the whipped cream into the sauce
until well blended.
To finish
Spread about 2 Tbs. of the filling on the underside of a crepe (reheat the
filling slightly if it's cold from the refrigerator). Fold the crepe in
half, and then in half again to make a quarter circle. Repeat with the
remaining crepes, dividing the filling evenly. You can do this early on the
day of serving and just keep the filled crepes covered at room temperature.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbs. of butter over medium heat until
sizzling. Add the filled crepes to the pan without crowding them (do this
in batches if you need to). Cook the crepes until warmed through and
browned on each side, about 1 min. per side. Add more butter if necessary
to the pan during cooking.
Arrange 3 crepes on each plate and drizzle a generous ribbon of chocolate
sauce on top, passing more sauce at the table. Serve immediately
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