We made our mascarpone crepes from that delightful Italian sweet cream cheese, and wrapped the final product around a velvety chocolate and hazelnut spread (or other equally delectable filling of your choice), garnished with tasty treats and more sweet stuff. What more do I need to say?
The inspiration for this recipe came from a few months I spent in France, where crepes are often treated as street food to be carried around as you make your way on foot around the city. They come in either sweet or savory versions. They are equally delicious, no matter which version you choose. This version is decidedly sweet. If that's what you're in the mood for, read on!
Equipment
The equipment you will need to make this recipe is listed below (affiliate links).
🧾 Ingredients
If you're not familiar with mascarpone, it's similar to cream cheese, but has a much creamier texture and flavor. I used it in the crepe batter, rather than as a filling, because it gives the crepes a lot of body and makes them a little more dense than traditional crepes.
- All-purpose flour (2 cups). I have only used all-purpose flour to make these crepes. You can substitute whole wheat flour, which will make your crepes a little bit more dense. You can also experiment with gluten-free flour. Cara over at Fork and Beans has a helpful guide to gluten-free flours that is worth a read.
- Granulated sugar (¼ cup).
- Salt (¼ teaspoon). Use regular table salt. Salt brings out the other flavors going on in these crepes.
- Ground cardamom (½ teaspoon). Adds unique flavor. We also used ground cardamom in our blueberry granola. This is one of my favorite spices for baked goods. Yum! 😋
- 1 large egg. Adds structure.
- 2 cups milk. I tested this recipe with coconut milk. It adds great flavor. Regular milk is fine
- Mascarpone (¾ cup). Adds body, structure and flavor. You can substitute an equal amount of good quality (I recommend Philadelphia brand) cream cheese.
- Butter or vegetable oil. Used to grease the griddle or skillet so that the crepes do not stick. Use as much as you need.
- Nutella hazelnut spread (½ cup). Used as the filling. You are not limited to hazelnut spread. You can also use fruit preserves, chopped fruit, strawberry compote, blueberry, mixed berry, apple, or raspberry syrup or lime curd. To use the syrups as a filling, you can thicken them with one tablespoon of cornstarch while they are cooking on the stove. This will help give it the consistency of pie filling.
🥄 Instructions
These mascarpone crepes come together easily using a non-stick skillet or griddle. Recently my husband and I purchased this crepe griddle, and I must say it does make crepe-making so much easier because it comes with a long wooden spatula and crepe batter spreader.
Step 1. Sift flour into a medium to large bowl, add sugar, and salt. Use a whisk to combine dry ingredients.
Add egg, milk and mascarpone to flour mixture. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is thick and difficult to pour, add a bit of water until your mixture is thin enough to pour and spread on its own.
Step 2. Add a pat of butter to griddle or skillet over low to medium heat. Use a ladle or large spoon to pour some of the batter into the pan. Swirl around to make a thin pancake. Add a little at first and if it's too thin just add more until you're satisfied with the thickness.
Cook until the batter solidifies and bubbles form on the surface, (about two minutes), carefully flip it and cook for about two minutes on the other side. You may need to adjust the temperature or timing depending on the thickness of your crepes. You want them to be cooked through and just browned on the outside.
Repeat until batter is gone, setting each finished crepe on a plate and allow to cool before filling.
Step 3. Fill each crepe with Nutella. Garnish with fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, chopped pecans, or whatever you like. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
💭 Cooking Tips and Ingredient Substitutions
It helps to have a long wooden spatula and crepe batter spreader. That long spatula makes the crepes so much easier to flip. As I mentioned above, we own and love this Chefman griddle, (affiliate link) which comes with the spatula and crepe batter spreader. You can use it not only for pancakes and crepes, but it's great for making fried eggs as well.
If you are unable to find mascarpone, you can substitute a good quality cream cheese, like Philadelphia brand.
You can also substitute nut or coconut milk for the regular milk. The first time I made these crepes, I used coconut milk. You could taste a little of the coconut, and it made the crepes even more delicious!
❓ FAQs
Yes. You can freeze unfilled crepes. Once the crepes are completely cool, cut a piece of wax paper to size and place between each crepe. Then place the crepes inside of a gallon freezer bag and seal. They will keep in the freezer for up to two months. You can reheat them one at a time in the microwave on high. Heat at 10 second intervals until they are warmed to your liking.
The main difference is that a crepe does not use a leavening agent (ingredient that causes a baked good to rise and fluff up). Crepes are made to be flat and thin so that they can be filled with goodies either sweet or savory. A pancake does use a leavening agent and typically does not contain a filling.
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Recipe
Mascarpone Crepes with Nutella Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ cup Mascarpone
- butter or vegetable oil
- ½ cup Nutella hazelnut spread
Instructions
- Sift flour into a medium to large bowl, add sugar, cardamom and salt. Use a whisk to combine dry ingredients.Add egg, milk and mascarpone to flour mixture. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is thick and difficult to pour, add a bit of water until your mixture is thin enough to pour and spread on its own.
- Add a pat of butter to griddle or skillet over low to medium heat. Use a ladle or large spoon to pour some of the batter into the pan. Swirl around to make a thin pancake. Add a little at first and if it's too thin just add more until you're satisfied with the thickness.Cook until the batter solidifies and bubbles form on the surface, (about two minutes), carefully flip it and cook for about two minutes on the other side. You may need to adjust the temperature or timing depending on the thickness of your crepes. You want them to be cooked through and just browned on the outside.Repeat until batter is gone, setting each finished crepe on a plate and allow to cool before filling.
- Fill each crepe with Nutella. Garnish with fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, chopped pecans, or whatever you like. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
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