CRêPE GâTEAU WITH STRAWBERRY PRESERVES AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Crêpe Gâteau with Strawberry Preserves and Crème Fraîche image

Yield serves 6 to 8 (makes 15 crêpes)

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large whole eggs, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup strawberry or other fruit preserves

Steps:

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and the salt. Make a well in the center, and fill it with the eggs, egg yolks, and a few tablespoons milk; whisk until a thick, smooth paste forms. Add the remaining milk, and whisk until no lumps remain.
Melt the butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet with a 6-inch-diameter bottom; pour into the batter, leaving a coating of butter in the skillet. Let the batter rest at room temperature at least 1 hour.
Over medium heat, warm the skillet thoroughly. Lift the skillet off the heat; stir the batter, and carefully ladle 3 tablespoons into the skillet. Immediately rotate the skillet so the batter is thinly spread evenly across the bottom to the edges. Return the skillet to the heat; cook the crêpe until the edges are golden brown and lacy, about 1 minute. Carefully flip the crêpe; cook the other side until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Slide the crêpe out of the skillet onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the cooked crêpes on top of one another. Let the crêpes cool completely.
Place the crème fraîche in a medium bowl set in an ice-water bath. Add the vanilla and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; whip until the mixture holds a line drawn by the whisk.
To assemble: Place 1 crêpe on a serving platter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon preserves on top; using an offset spatula, spread in a thin layer over the crêpe, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover with another crêpe, stacking neatly. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons crème-fraîche mixture evenly over the crêpe, again leaving a 1/2-inch border. Continue alternating fillings with crêpes, finishing with a crêpe on top. If necessary, insert 2 long toothpicks through the layers to keep the gâteau in place. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Remove the toothpicks; cut into wedges before serving.