Best Crepes With Caramel Sauce And Toasted Pecans Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

CRISPY CREPES WITH DULCE DE LECHE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toast pecans in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven, shaking occasionally, until fragrant and a few shades darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss immediately with 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
• Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a well-seasoned crêpe pan or an 8-inch nonstick skillet. Blend milk, eggs, flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a blender until smooth. Pour in melted butter, leaving a film of butter in skillet, and blend until well combined.
• Heat skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Half fill a 1/4-cup measure with batter and, holding skillet off heat, pour in batter, immediately swirling and tilting skillet to create a thin even layer. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly. Next crêpe will be better.) Return skillet to heat and cook until crêpe is golden around edges and dry in center, about 45 seconds. Flip crêpe carefully and cook until golden, about 15 seconds more. Sprinkle crêpe lightly with sugar.
• Make more crêpes with remaining batter, stacking them as cooked and lightly sprinkling each with sugar.
• Preheat broiler and butter an 8-inch round flameproof shallow baking dish.
• Heat dulce de leche paste and cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
• Fold crêpes into eighths and arrange in baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, then broil about 6 inches from heat until edges are crispy, about 45 seconds. Serve with sauce and pecans.

CREPES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE AND TOASTED PECANS

Steps:

• For crepes:
• Combine first 6 ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Blend again before using.
• Brush 8- to 9-inch-diameter nonstick skillet lightly with melted butter. Heat over medium-high heat. Pour scant 1/4 cupful batter into skillet, tilting to allow batter to coat bottom of skillet. Cook until crepe is golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Turn crepe over and cook until brown on bottom, about 45 seconds. Transfer to paper towel. Repeat with remaining batter, making about 24 crepes and stacking crepes between paper towels. Cool.
• For sauce:
• Combine cajeta, milk, and butter in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 3/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Cognac.
• Place 1 crepe on work surface. Spread with 1 tablespoon sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans. Fold crepe in half over filling, then in half again, forming triangle. Repeat with remaining crepes, sauce, and pecans. Arrange crepes in two 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill crepes and remaining sauce separately. Rewarm sauce just until pourable before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour remaining sauce over crepes. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with any remaining pecans and serve.

SPICY TOASTED PECANS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, pepper, and salt. Remove pan from heat and add pecans, tossing to coat well. Spread in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CARAMEL PECAN CAKES

Steps:

• Make caramel:
• Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals on side of skillet with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling skillet occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Remove from heat and carefully stir in remaining cup water (mixture will steam vigorously and may stiffen). Return to a boil and stir until caramel has completely dissolved. If necessary, simmer until just syrupy, 1 to 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Toast pecans for cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Toast pecans in a 4-sided sheet pan in oven until fragrant and a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.
• Make cake:
• Put 2/3 cup cooled caramel syrup in a bowl (save remainder to use as sauce) and add butter, egg, and cream, whisking well after each addition.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and sugars into a large bowl. Make a well in center, then add caramel mixture and gradually whisk in dry ingredients until smooth. Fold in pecans. Chill, covered, until cold (or 12 to 24 hours for best results).
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
• Butter and lightly flour ramekins, then cut out and fit a round of parchment paper in bottom of each. Arrange in a 4-sided sheet pan.
• Divide batter among ramekins (about 1/4 cup each; batter will be stiff). Bake until cakes just spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes to warm. Reheat remaining caramel. Invert cakes onto plates, then peel off parchment and spoon some of caramel on top.

CARAMEL-PECAN BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 17x12x1-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment; butter paper. Pulse nuts and flour in processor until nuts are finely chopped (not ground). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in very large bowl until foamy. With mixer running, gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar, beating just until stiff peaks form. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 1/3 cup sugar and bourbon in large bowl until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add yolk mixture to egg-white mixture. Sprinkle nuts over; gently fold until almost incorporated. Add butter; fold gently just to blend. Pour into prepared baking sheet, spreading batter gently to form even layer.
• Bake cake until edges begin to brown and cake is firm to touch, about 14 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• For frosting and caramel sauce:
• Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes (time will vary, depending on size of pan). Remove from heat; immediately add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk in butter, bourbon, and salt. Stir over medium heat until any caramel bits dissolve. Transfer 1 cup caramel sauce to small pitcher. Add chocolate to remaining caramel in saucepan. Let stand off heat 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Let frosting stand until spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over cake in even layer. Beginning at 1 long side and using parchment as aid, roll up cake jelly-roll style. Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut off 3-inch-long diagonal piece from each end. Arrange cake, seam side down, on platter. Spread cut side of each 3-inch cake piece with some of frosting. Attach 1 cake piece, frosting side down, to top of cake near 1 end. Attach second piece to side of cake near opposite end. Cover cake with remaining frosting. Run fork in concentric circles on cake ends. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let stand at room temperature.
• Garnish platter with leaves. Sprinkle cake lightly with powdered sugar. Cut cake into slices and serve with bananas, if desired, ice cream, and sauce.

CARAMEL PECAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends, and grease foil.
• Follow recipe for basic butter cookies to make dough (do not chill), then press dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap on top to prevent dough from sticking to your fingers, and chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• While crust chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
• Make topping while crust cools:
• Cook sugar in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.
• Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours.
• Run a heavy knife under hot water, then wipe dry and cut confection into 2-inch triangles, diamonds, or squares.

PEACH-PECAN ICE CREAM PIE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter in medium bowl until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make caramel sauce:
• Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any caramel bits dissolve and sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 1 hour.
• Drizzle 1/4 cup cooled caramel sauce over bottom of crust. Freeze until caramel sets, about 10 minutes. Spread 1 quart ice cream over caramel in crust. Sprinkle chopped pecans over ice cream. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over ice cream. Freeze until caramel sets, about 10 minutes. Spread remaining ice cream over. Freeze until top of pie is firm, about 1 hour.
• Arrange pecan halves in 3 concentric circles around top of pie. Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel sauce over pie. Freeze pie until frozen solid, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Cover tightly with foil; keep frozen. Cover and chill remaining caramel sauce.)
• Rewarm remaining caramel sauce over low heat, stirring often. Cut around pan sides to loosen pie. Let pie soften slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Remove pan sides. Serve pie with warm caramel sauce.

BASIC CREPES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
• Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.