Berry Crepes with Banana Cream Filling

My boysenberry crop is starting to come in!  So now I need to find things to do with them that Knott's doesn't make.

I went on a search of this site for whatever sweet crepe batter recipe I use, and couldn't find one.  Really, I haven't made regular crepes here?  Well, I wasn't making them today either, so I went to Alton Brown for a scientifically tested recipe.

What I failed to note until all of the ingredients were in the blender was the yield.  This makes more crepes than I intended.  But Alton only used two tablespoons (1 ounce) in his and mine are usually closer to 1/4 cup.  I also lost more than usual before the pan was seasoned, so I only ended up with a dozen.

I also ate one to check the flavor

There's no reason you couldn't put berries inside the crepe instead of banana.  I had one that was going over-ripe.  Also, it allowed me to put less sugar in the batter and filling.  Berries can be tart.  The surprise of this dessert is the berry-tinged, purple crepe batter.

The garnish was going to be a white chocolate sauce, but I forgot to buy white chocolate.  This kind of snafu is why I keep a shaker of powdered sugar by the stove, next to the salt, pepper, and head of garlic.  That's a weird combination of items to have on hand, but I actually used all of them that day.  I need to stop making several elaborate dishes on work days.  Three hours of cooking after eight hours of cooking & baking is really exhausting.  Side note: you can make these crepes ahead of time and freeze until needed.  You don't have to do all of this in one day.

Crepes
*1/2 C compound berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, or boysenberries
2 eggs
*3/4 C milk
1/2 C water
1 C flour
1 Tb sugar
3 Tb melted butter
more butter for the pan

1.  Put everything in the blender and run until smooth.  Let sit in the fridge for 1 hour to let the gluten develop.  You will have about 3 C of batter.

2.  Heat a small skillet over medium-high.  Place a generous amount of butter on a paper towel and wipe the pan.  Hang on to the paper towel and butter, because you're going to need it between every crepe.

3.  Pour a scant 1/4 C of batter into pan and swirl to coat the bottom until the batter sets.  Cook until the edges are browned and start to separate from the pan.  Yo can use a heatproof spatula to get enough off the pan to grab, but you're going to have to flip the crepe by hand or it will tear.  Cook other side about two more minutes, then remove to a wax paper-lined plate to cool.  Re-butter pan and repeat until all the batter is used.

Filling
1/2 C whipping cream
1/4 C mascarpone cheese
1 Tb sugar
*1 banana, thinly sliced
powdered sugar for garnish

1.  In a chilled bowl, beat cold cream to soft peaks.  Add sugar and beat to stiff peaks.  Add mascarpone and beat until smooth, which will soften the whipped cream's peaks.

2.  Onto each crepe, spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling.  Top with several slices of banana.  Fold or roll crepe, then dust with powdered sugar.  Serve immediately.

Makes 12 to 16 crepes, depending on size

Difficulty rating  :-0