Crêpes with dulce de leche sauce and fruits

Dulce de leche is a popular confection in Latin America. It is made by slowly heating sugar and milk for several hours until getting a thick sauce which can be used as a spread on bread or cookies, or as a filling on many pastries. For this recipe we are using a dulce de leche from Argentina found at “El gaucho” a butchery and Latin America products’ store north of Toronto, however, many large grocery stores in North America carry dulce de leche spreads imported from different countries; find it in the ethnic or baking products aisle.

Ingredients:

For the crêpes

Makes approximately 6 large crêpes.

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted (to grease the skillet)

For the dulce de leche sauce

• 450 gr. dulce de leche spread
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Suggested toppings:

• Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries
• Banana, sliced
• Walnuts, pecans or almonds, chopped

Preparation:

Make the crêpes

In the blender, blend the flour, eggs, milk, water, vanilla extract, melted butter and salt. With a spatula scrape the sides and bottom of the blender to remove any sticking flour then blend a few more seconds until all ingredients are well combined. Strain the batter and keep it in a small plastic container or glass bowl. Let the batter rest for at least 1 hour.

In the microwave melt the butter for a maximum of 30 seconds.

In the stove, heat a large non-stick pan or crêpes pan at medium heat. Brush the pan with some of the melted butter. Pour some of the batter at the centre of the pan; immediately start tilting and swirling until the batter covers all the pan. Cook each crêpe on both sides (approximately 2 min. each or until golden brown). Transfer to a plate and cover with lid (tip: use a microwave splatter cover). Follow the same steps for the rest of the batter.

Make the dulce de leche sauce

In a small pan mix the dulce de leche, milk, vanilla extract and salt. In the stove at medium heat, heat all the ingredients; stir often until the dulce de leche melts and perfectly integrates with the rest of the ingredients. If the sauce is too thick add 2 more tablespoons of milk at a time and stir frequently. Reserve.

Assemble the crêpes

Fold the crêpes into fourths. Fill them with fruit, cover them with dulce de leche sauce. Finally garnish the crêpes with some more fruit and nuts. Enjoy!