A crêpe is a type of very thin pancake, usually made from wheat flour. While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is nowadays widespread in France and they are considered a national dish, and they are also increasingly popular in North America and South America.

In Brittany, crêpes are traditionally served with cider. Crêpes are served with a variety of fillings, from the most simple with only sugar to crêpes Suzette or elaborate savoury fillings.

Here is a delicious recipe with chocolate filling and ginger-pear sauce !

• Preparation time : 30 mn
• Pause : 2 hours
• Cooking time : 20 mn + 3 minutes per crêpe
• Cost :  medium
• Wine : Poiré or Cider

Ingredients : 12 crêpes

Batter :

• 125 gr flour
• 25 cl milk
• 20 gr unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Filling : chocolate sauce

• 200 gr dark chocolate finely chopped (70% cocoa)
• 40 cl water
• 100 gr white sugar
• 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Sauce : ginger and pear

• 5 big pears or canned pears (200 gr)
• 1 cup of water
• 50 gr white sugar
• 1/4 lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Tips : if you do not have fresh ginger, you can have some frozen one, which is also delicious.

Step 1 (Batter – step 1-4)

In a large bowl, pour flour, make a well and pour half of the milk. Mix with a spatula, starting from the centre of the bowl.

Step 2

Whip the eggs and mix them with flour and milk in the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of white sugar.

Step 3

Slowly pour the rest of the milk. The pancake batter should be smooth but not too runny.

Step 4

Cover and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature.

Step 5 (Ginger-pear sauce : steps 5-6)

If using fresh pears : In a medium heavy saucepan, simmer white sugar, lemon juice and water for 3 minutes, then put the pears in. Cover with a lid and let the fruits poach for 20 minutes, turning them upside down, once or twice. Remove the pan from heat. Reserve 2 pears in a plate.

If using canned pears, you can skip this step.

Step 6

Add fresh grated ginger to the 3 pears in the pan. Mix and let it cool down for 5 mn. Then mix them with an electric blender, in order to have an homogenous ginger-pear sauce.

Step 7

Tips : if the batter is going lumpy, you can sieve it.

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over high heat. Pour ½ ladle of batter into pan for each crêpe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Step 8 (Chocolate sauce)

In a pan, melt chocolate with water. Add crème fraîche and sugar. Stir with a wooden spatula until the mixture is even. Simmer at low heat for 3 mn, keeping stirring. Then remove from heat, but keep it lukewarm.

Step 9

Cut in quarters the 2 remaining pears. Remove the stem. Then cut each quarter into 3 thick slices.

Step 10

In a plate pour some ginger-pear sauce. Then lay one crêpe and fill with chocolate sauce. Fold each crêpe in 4. Garnish with 3 slices of pear. Drizzle with some ginger powder. Serve immediately.

More crêpe recipes on this website !

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