Glazed Apple Dessert Crepes with Pan-Seared Bananas and Marshmallow Cream Frosting

To download a cookbook-style copy of the recipe for Glazed Apple Dessert Crepes with Pan-Seared Bananas and Marshmallow Cream Frosting, click HERE.

One good crepe deserves another.

Last week’s recipe for Chardonnay Chicken Crepes was just one example of the countless savory dishes that can be made using a basic crepe. This week, we’ll sample the sweet side of this versatile culinary workhorse by filling it with glazed apples, and topping them with pan-seared bananas and an easy-to-make marshmallow cream frosting. How does that sound for dessert!

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• The crepe used in this recipe is just a slightly modified version of the all-purpose crepe we made last week. The only difference: since we’re using this for a sweet dessert instead of a savory dish, we add a little vanilla.

• If you prefer, regular whipped cream or other whipped topping can be used. I just prefer marshmallow cream frosting because of its great texture, delicious sweet taste (especially with a bit of shredded coconut added!), and its very low fat content. Good, low fat whipped toppings are hard to find; this is one of my favorites.

• Preparing both the apples and the bananas involves a bit of oil for the pan. I recommend something neutral-flavored with a high smoke point. (I used grapeseed oil.)

• Soaking the walnuts is optional, but it removes most of the bitter aftertaste that walnuts often have.

This recipe makes about 6 servings, with some extra crepes left over. (Making extra crepes is done on purpose. They’ll keep for several days in a food storage bag in the refrigerator; just warm them a bit, spread some butter, jam or whatever else you like, gently fold them into quarters, and you’ll have something seriously delicious whenever you feel like it. And, once you have them, you will feel like it. Trust me.)

Here are the ingredients you’ll need.

For the crepes: 1 cup AP flour; ¼ tsp salt; 2 Tbsp melted butter substitute; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 egg-substitute eggs; 1-1/2 cups skim milk; and butter substitute or oil for cooking crepes.

For the marshmallow cream frosting: 1 cup marshmallow cream; ¼ cup firm textured butter substitute, softened to room temperature; ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar; ½ tsp vanilla extract; ¼ cup coconut flakes. (Optional: ½ - 1 Tbsp skim milk, if desired for a looser texture.)

For the glazed apple filling: 1 cup fine-chopped walnuts; 4 granny smith apples; oil for pan; ¼ tsp kosher salt; ½ cup ginger ale; 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice; 6 Tbsp brown sugar; pinch powdered ginger; pinch ground cinnamon; and pinch ground nutmeg.

Other Ingredients: 3 bananas; oil for pan-searing

To prepare the walnuts:

Place the walnuts for the filling in a bowl with enough water to cover. Let soak for one hour and then drain well.

To make the crepe batter:

Combine flour and salt in a bowl, and form a well. Pour the egg-substitute eggs, vanilla, and ½ cup of the skim milk into the well. Add the melted butter substitute and mix into the other liquids in the well.

Once the liquid ingredients in the well are combined, gradually mix in the dry ingredients. The result should be a thick batter.

Gradually add the remaining skim milk until the batter has the consistency of heavy cream.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

While the batter is resting and the walnuts are soaking, make the marshmallow cream topping as follows:

Using a mixer, blend the marshmallow cream and butter substitute until smooth.

Add the vanilla and mix till combined.

Add the confectioner’s sugar and the coconut flakes, and beat until mixed. (Optional: add milk if desired for a looser texture and mix to combine.) Cover and refrigerate till ready to use.

While the batter is resting and the marshmallow cream is cooling, make the filling as follows.

Combine the ginger ale, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Peel and slice the apples into ¼“ slices. Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice.

Heat a little oil in a skillet, and add the apple slices. (Work in batches so that all the apple slices lay flat on the bottom of the pan.)

Cook the apple slices uncovered, about 3 minutes per side, till both sides are browned. Season with salt part way through the browning.

Set each batch aside while you brown the next batch.

When all the apple slices have been browned, combine all the slices in the skillet and pour the ginger ale mixture over the top.

Add the brown sugar and mix till a syrup forms.

Cover the skillet and cook the apples for a few minutes over medium heat.

Cook till the apples are softened (but not mushy) and glazed.

After draining the walnuts well, stir them into the apple mixture and set aside till needed.

 When you’re ready to cook the crepes:

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat; melt about 1 tsp of butter substitute. Remove the pan from the heat, add about ¼ cup of batter, swirl around to cover the surface of the pan, and put it back on the heat.

When the crepe is lightly browned on the bottom and firm enough to be flipped (usually about one to 1-1/2 minutes, but keep an eye on it), turn or flip the crepe and cook on the opposite side till it has the desired brownness.

Stack the crepes on a plate, covered with a clean towel to keep from drying out.

Repeat the above steps for each crepe, rebuttering the pan for each.

To make the bananas for the topping:

Peel and slice the bananas into ¼“ discs.

Heat a little oil in the pan. Add the bananas and cook until browned on the bottom, about five minutes.

Turn the bananas over and brown the other side. Remove from the heat and set aside till ready to serve.

To serve:

Place a crepe on the plate.

Use a slotted spoon to put filling along the center-line of the crepe.

Fold the crepe over.

Top with some of the marshmallow cream frosting.

Add some of the seared bananas.

Serve warm or room temperature.

To download a cookbook-style copy of the recipe for Glazed Apple Dessert Crepes with Pan-Seared Bananas and Marshmallow Cream Frosting, click HERE.

Be warned: between the light, tasty crepes; the glazed apples; the pan-seared bananas; and the marshmallow cream topping, these dessert crepes can be very habit-forming!

And please visit again next week for another delicious, kitchen-tested recipe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)

Chardonnay Chicken Crepes

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Chardonnay Chicken Crepes, click HERE.

If crepes are not normally considered one of the basic essentials of cooking, they should be. They’re as versatile as anything we cook can be, working just as well with sweet breakfasts and desserts as they do with savory meat dinner dishes. They’re easy to make, and can transform almost anything into an all-new dish. (My wife made a marvelous dinner by cutting up some leftover roast beef, adding vegetables and gravy, and wrapping it up in some of the extra crepes that were left the day after we had this week’s Chardonnay Chicken Crepes recipe for dinner.)

The Chardonnay Chicken filling is simple to make as well. It was modeled after a classic Beef Burgundy, in which beef chunks are browned, then finished in a wine and broth blend that is cooked down and thickened into a gravy. (If you prefer not to serve it inside a crepe, Chardonnay Chicken or, for that matter, Beef Burgundy, is also great on top of noodles.)

This recipe makes about 6 servings. (It will also leave you with a few extra crepes. This is a good thing.)

Here’s what you’ll need before you begin:

For the Crepes: 1 cup all-purpose flour; ¼ tsp salt; 2 Tbsp melted butter substitute; 2 egg-substitute eggs; 1-1/2 cups skim milk; and  butter substitute or oil for cooking the crepes. (A non-stick crepe pan is also helpful.)

For the Chardonnay Chicken Crepe Filling: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper; ½ tsp garlic powder; 2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes; butter substitute or oil for cooking; 3 slices turkey bacon; 8 to 12 ounces sliced mushrooms; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 cup dry white wine (chardonnay or similar); 2 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth; 1 cup pearl onions (the frozen ones are ok to use); ½ tsp dried thyme; ½ tsp dried rosemary; 1 bay leaf; 1 to 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (to desired gravy thickness); green or red bell pepper, fine-diced, for garnish.

To make the crepe batter:

Combine flour and salt in a bowl, and form a well.

Pour the egg-substitute eggs and ½ cup of the skim milk into the well. Add the melted butter substitute to the well and mix the liquids together.

Once the liquid ingredients in the well are combined, gradually mix in the dry ingredients. The result should be a thick batter.

Gradually add the remaining skim milk until the batter has the consistency of heavy cream. Take care doing this; making crepes is easy, but the texture of the batter is very, very important to getting them right.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. (This helps your crepes to have a smooth texture by allowing the air bubbles to clear from the batter after mixing.)

While the batter is resting, make the filling as follows.

In a bowl or large food storage bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the chicken cubes and toss to coat.

Cook the turkey bacon in a skillet over medium heat. (You may need to add a little oil or butter substitute to start, since turkey bacon doesn’t render as much fat as regular bacon.) When the bacon is done, transfer it to a plate and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add a little oil or butter substitute to the skillet as needed, and sauté the mushrooms. Set the cooked mushrooms aside.

Increase the heat to high. Add a little oil or butter substitute to the skillet as needed. Add the chicken cubes and garlic clove, and cook until the chicken is browned. (Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan; you want to brown the chicken, not steam it.)

Put all the chicken together into the skillet. Add the wine and broth to the skillet. Increase the heat to high till the liquid is boiling, then lower to a simmer.

Add the mushrooms and pearl onions and simmer for about ten minutes.

Add the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf.

Cook uncovered until reduced by about ¼ to 1/3. Add the flour near the end to thicken the gravy.

When done cooking, cut the bacon into pieces and add to the mixture. Remove the bay leaf.

Now let’s cook our crepes.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat; remove the pan from the heat and melt about 1 tsp of butter substitute. (Be careful with this; too much oil or butter substitute could damage your crepe!) To make an 8” crepe, remove the pan from the heat, add about ¼ cup of the batter, swirl around to cover the surface of the pan, and put it back on the heat.

When the crepe is lightly browned on the bottom and firm enough to be flipped (usually about a minute and a half, but keep an eye on it), turn or flip the crepe and cook on the opposite side (generally for a minute, or even a bit less) till it has the desired brownness. Stack the crepes on a plate, covered with a clean towel to keep from drying out.

Repeat the above steps for each crepe, rebuttering the pan for each.

To serve:

Place a crepe on the plate.

Use a slotted spoon to put filling along the center-line of the crepe.

Fold the crepe over.

Spread a little gravy from the pan on top of the crepe, and sprinkle some of the diced bell pepper to garnish.

Serve hot with a vegetable side dish, and a glass of the chardonnay.

To download a cookbook style copy of the recipe for Chardonnay Chicken Crepes, click HERE.

This savory recipe is, of course, just one example of a dish that takes advantage of the wonders of the crepe. There are countless others, and next week I hope you’ll visit again as we go the other way with a sweet crepe! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)