Berry Crêpes with Cheesecake Cream
Berry Crêpes are so delicious, and taken up a level here with a cheesecake cream filling that pairs beautifully with the berry coulis.
Servings: 6 pancakes
Ingredients
- 110 g plain flour
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 280 ml milk
- extra butter for greasing the pan
For the raspberry coulis:
- 300 g fresh or frozen raspberries
- About 1-2 tsp caster sugar to taste
- Zest of ½ lemon and about 1 tbsp lemon juice to taste
Optional - for the cheesecake cream:
- 175 g mascarpone softened to room temperature
- 300 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
- Make the raspberry coulis: tip the raspberries into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the caster sugar, lemon zest and 1 tbsp water. Place over a low-medium heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Once simmering, reduce the heat and cook gently for about 5 minutes - or until the raspberries have softened. Remove the raspberries from the heat and add lemon juice, to taste. Adjust the sweetness, if necessary. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Optional: Make the cheesecake cream by whisking together the double cream, softened mascarpone and sugar until thickened. Set aside.
- Simply mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and crack in your eggs. Add the melted butter. Add the milk and whisk well to bring it all together. Or add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. I always use a blender as it's the only way to get it really smooth.
- Grease a nonstick frying pan with butter using a scrunched-up bit of kitchen paper. I use a ladle to get the right amount of batter in the pan, but this is a bit of trial and error. Remember that the first pancake never turns out right – it’s a scientific fact, so don’t stress and then just enjoy it as a chef’s perk.
- Cook for 30 seconds or so without touching it, then loosen the edges and flip! Cook for another 30 seconds or so until it's a lovely colour and then slide onto a plate.
- If you want to do these ahead of the game, just stack them up using a little greaseproof paper between each pancake to stop them sticking and then they reheat well in a low oven (around 90-100c)
- When ready to eat, take a hot crepe and add cheesecake cream to one quarter, don't pile in the middle or it'll be hard to fold. Top with berry coulis. Fold into quarters and enjoy. I often top the folded quarters with more coulis and cream.
Notes
Scroll up for a helpful step by step guide on how to make these berry crêpes.
To store: Cool and transfer to a plate with sheets of greaseproof paper in between each one. Then clingfilm tightly and place in the fridge for 2 days. I wouldn’t store any berry crêpes with the filling and cream already in them as this makes them go soggy. The berry coulis keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 days. Any leftovers are delicious on porridge! The cheesecake cream also keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.
To reheat: Any leftover crepes can be reheated in a pan over medium-low heat. Flip over once until heated through, it shouldn’t take more than a minute or so. Otherwise, heat in the microwave in 20 second bursts until hot. Don't reheat crepes that have cream and berries already in them as the cream will melt and turn liquid.
To freeze: Cool then stack up with sheets of greaseproof paper in between each crepe. Then clingfilm the whole thing tightly and place in a freezer bag (or wrap with a final layer of foil).Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. I wouldn’t freeze any berry crêpes with the filling and cream already in them as it won't freeze well. The berry coulis can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and place in freezer. Defrost at room temp until liquid again and use as desired. If you want it warm, you could also add the frozen coulis to a pan over low-medium heat with a splash of water and defrost on the hob until smooth and warm. I wouldn't freeze the cheesecake cream as it turns grainy when defrosted.
Make ahead: You can store crepe batter in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. But I would use it in the first 24 hours when it’s at its best. You can also freeze crepe batter for up to 2 months. When ready to use, defrost overnight until it’s liquid and then give it a good whisk to bring it together. The berry coulis can be made 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. I like to make the cheesecake cream fresh as I find it has the best texture. You could make it a few hours in advance though, cover and keep in the fridge until ready. Remove from fridge 30 mins before sitting down to eat so the cream loses the fridge chill.
Using a blender: you can be team blender or team elbow grease - both work well! Blender makes it super smooth and makes it super easy. But elbow grease with a whisk is also a good technique too. The trick is that once the dry ingredients are in the bowl, add the eggs and whisk really well until as smooth as possible. Then add the milk, only once it’s as smooth as possible. That gives you the best chance of getting rid of lumps.
Non-stick pan: I would really recommend using a non-stick pan here as it means you avoid any sticking mishaps.
When to flip: After 30-60 seconds, the edges should slightly curl up. Once they do that, that means they are ready to flip. The edges will be darker and slightly loosened.