Chocolate Crêpes with Creme Chantilly

Crêpes:
100g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp melted butter, plus a few
knobs for cooking
300ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate sauce:
100g good-quality dark chocolate
(about 70% cocoa solids)
15g unsalted butter
11/2 tbsp clear honey
70ml whole milk

Crème chantilly:
250ml double cream
2–3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
To serve:
4 tbsp flaked or nibbed almonds,
lightly toasted
candied orange zest (see page
102), optional

To serve:
4 tbsp flaked or nibbed almonds,
lightly toasted
candied orange zest (see page
102), optional

For the crêpes, sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl and stir
in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and tip in the beaten eggs, melted
butter, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine the ingredients and
form a smooth batter, but try not to overwork the mixture. Leave to stand
or chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into small pieces and place
in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and
honey and allow to melt, stirring from time to time. Remove from the
heat and gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. If
necessary, warm the sauce slightly before serving.

For the crème chantilly, in a bowl, whip the cream with the icing sugar
and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
To cook the crêpes, place a non-stick crêpe pan over a medium heat and
add a knob of butter. When melted, tilt the pan so that the butter coats
the base. Add a small ladleful of batter and swirl to evenly coat the base
of the pan in a thin layer. Cook for about 11/2 minutes until the batter is
set and golden brown underneath. Flip over to cook the other side for a
minute. Transfer to a warm plate and wrap in a tea towel to keep warm.
Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the crêpes interleaved with
greaseproof paper in the tea towel as they are cooked.

To serve, spread a layer of crème chantilly over one half of each crêpe,
scatter with a few toasted almonds. Fold the plain half of the crêpe over
the filling to enclose, then fold again into quarters. Place one filled crêpe
on each serving plate and drizzle over the chocolate sauce. Scatter over a
few toasted almonds, and if you wish, top with some candied orange zest.


Source: Gordon Ramsay