Banana Brulée Crepes with Mascarpone Creme

Ingredients

Crepes and Filling:

5

large ripe bananas

1 cup / 250 ml

milk

1 cup / 250 ml

all-purpose flour

3/4 cup / 180 g

Naturegg Simply Egg Whites

1 tbsp / 15 ml

melted butter, plus extra for pan as needed

1 tsp / 5 ml

vanilla extract

1/4 tsp / 1 ml

salt

1/3 cup / 80 ml

packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp / 2 ml

ground cinnamon

Icing sugar (optional)

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Mascarpone Crème:

1/2 cup / 125 ml

35% whipping cream

1/2 cup / 125 ml

mascarpone cheese

1 tbsp / 15 ml

icing or granulated sugar

1 tsp / 5 ml

vanilla extract

Directions

1. Crepes and Filling: Combine 1 banana, milk, flour, egg whites, butter, vanilla and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the blender as needed. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. [Alternatively, whisk all wet ingredients together in a medium bowl, then whisk in flour and salt until smooth.]

2. Preheat a 10-inch/25 cm crepe pan over medium heat. Lightly brush pan with butter using a silicone pastry brush if needed.

3. Add 1/3 cup batter to the center of the pan; lift the pan off the heat, tilting and swirling to create a round that almost reaches to the edges of the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side; loosen edges with a spatula, flip and cook for 30 seconds on the second side. Repeat with remaining batter to make 8 crepes. Stack prepared crepes on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, preheat broiler to high and set the rack in the second highest position. Slice remaining bananas and spread in a large, buttered baking dish; Toss sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over bananas. Broil for 8 to 10 minute or until bananas are slightly charred, watching carefully and rotating dish during the last couple of minutes. Hold warm.

5. Mascarpone Crème: Whip cream with mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla until thick and stiff. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.

6. To serve, spoon an equal amount of bananas into each crepe, and fold or roll to enclose. Dust with icing sugar (if desired). Serve with a dollop of Crème mixture and drizzle with any remaining sugar syrup in the baking dish.

Tips

1. Make ahead: Crepes and mascarpone mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance and reserved in the refrigerator. Bring crepes to room temperature before filling with warm bananas.

2. Add chopped pecans or slivered almonds to the bananas midway through broiling for added crunch.

3. For a lower fat and lower cost option, replace the mascarpone with 1/2 brick/125 g softened, cream cheese, adjusting the sweetness to taste.

4. Variation: For extra indulgence replace mascarpone crème with a chocolate hazelnut whip. Whip 1/4 cup/50 ml chocolate hazelnut spread with 1/4 cup/50 ml 35% whipping cream on low to loosen; add in 1/2 cup/125 ml additional whipping cream and whip until thick.

5. To make this recipe dairy free, replace the milk and butter with your favourite plant-based alternatives and use a sweetened plant based yogurt or coconut whipped cream instead of the mascarpone crème.