Caramel Banana Crepes

I've been thinking about making crepes for a long time. And I've had this specific recipe in my collection for over 2 years, mostly because I'm automatically drawn to anything with banana and caramel! And now, thanks to Bellicious and Suzy, who both have challenges to encourage us to make things that have been on our "list," I finally made these.

And now, I only wonder why I haven't made them earlier. Crepes are not difficult, they just take a little gentleness. And this filling is SO scrumptious. Now that I have the basic crepe down, I can think of many ways to fill/top them, like with strawberries and hot fudge sauce or chocolate and raspberries. And then there are all the savory options! I see a lot of crepes in my future!

To make the crepe batter, combine the milk and eggs and whisk well. (I used a large liquid measuring cup so it would be easy to pour the batter into the pan.) Next add the powdered sugar



and the flour, and mix well. (If your flour or powdered sugar are lumpy, which powdered sugar is prone to be!, sift them together first so you get a smooth batter.)

Now add the melted butter,



vanilla and salt. Give it a good whisking to ensure it stays smooth. Now coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat. When it's hot, pour about 3 Tbps. batter into the pan



then swirl it around so the batter covers the bottom of the pan.



Let it cook for about 1 minute. Crepes "act" sort of like pancakes - they'll get little bubbles on the top and start to dry out a little so you'll know when it's time to flip them. To flip it, gently bring one side up with a spatula (I used my fingers to help a little)



and then gently turn over onto the "raw" side.



Let the crepe cook on this side for 30 seconds or so,



then slide out onto a large dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, and just layer the finished crepes on a large dinner plate. I never needed to re-grease my skillet, but if you do, just spray it again.

To make the filling and sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the brown sugar,



nutmeg



and cinnamon.



Whisk well to get out any lumps and let this mixture boil for a second, then add the half and half.



Cook and stir for a minute until slightly thickened, then add the banana slices. Let them swim the sauce til they are heated through, about two minutes, then place a spoonful on the center of each crepe.



(Note: only cut up as many bananas as you'll use that day. You can always warm up the sauce later and add more bananas - they're not nearly as good after they've spent 24 hours in the sauce...)

Now fold the ends over



and gently flip so the crepe is seam side down. Spoon a bit more sauce over the crepe,



then top with a dollop of whipped cream



and a pinch of cinnamon.



One year ago: carrot souffle
Two years ago: sweet potato muffins, tuna melts

Find more great ideas at Sweet Treats Thursday, What's on Your Plate?, Let's Do Brunch, Recipes I can't wait to try, What's on the Menu Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whatcha Makin' Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, What We're Eating Wednesday, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, Made it on Monday, Cooking Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweets for a Saturday, Friday Food: French.

Caramel Banana Crepes

Crepes:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling and sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup half-and-half
3-4 bananas, sliced crosswise
2 cups whipped heavy cream
cinnamon

Combine flour and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Either sift it, or whisk well to get out any lumps. Add eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth.

Heat a lightly greased 6 inch skillet. Add 3-4 tablespoons batter. Tilt skillet so that batter spreads to almost cover the bottom of skillet. Cook until lightly browned (about 1 minute); turn and brown the other side. Repeat process with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed.

For the filling and sauce, melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in half and half and cook until slightly thickened. Add bananas; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, spooning sauce over them. Remove from heat.

Spoon banana mixture into middle of crepes, roll up and turn over. Spoon sauce over crepes. Top with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon. Makes 12 crepes.