Caramelized Banana Crepes

I like to start the day with a good breakfast. On the other hand, breakfast is also the meal that happens to come first thing in the morning. Which is not always the easiest time for me to muster up the motivation to make a big, delicious breakfast.

But for some reason, I have been really wanting crepes recently. And I wanted them for breakfast.

I have made crepes before, but it had been a while. And I wanted a more basic recipe, to be honest. And when I found this one, I knew that it was the perfect one for me - because it calls for the batter to be made in advance! How perfect is that for breakfast baking!

So yesterday while little man was napping, little miss and I whipped up a quick batch of crepe batter. Sorry, no pictures of that...

Then, this morning, while little miss was still snoozing, I prepared a yummy filling. Caramelized bananas. I had two bananas just begging to be used. Then I also had a toddler begging for some banana... so... I then had 1 1/2 bananas just begging to be turned into a delicious filling.

Some butter, sliced bananas and a nice heap of brown sugar.

Soon turned into this absolute deliciousness.

And then it was time to cook the crepes.

I don't know about you, but for me, the first crepe (or pancake, for that matter...) generally turns out... sloppy.

But once the first one is out of the way, the rest cook up beautifully. You know they're ready to flip when they look nice and dry on the edges, and like they are starting to go a bit golden.

Then all that's left to do is to combine the fresh crepes with that delicious filling.

Roll it all up...

...and then just try to eat only one!

Little miss preferred hers with strawberry jam...

...and I had a hard time keeping up with the demand!  I think she had three. At least. But she got really good at rolling them!

I have no idea why it's been so long since I've made these, but I can guarantee that it won't be that long again - these came together quickly and easily (and ahead of time!), and everyone loved them. Now I just can't wait to try all kinds of different fillings... sweet, savory, dinner crepes, dessert crepes - oh yes - there will be more!



Crepes
(from  mel's kitchen cafe)

2 eggs
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter (or vegetable oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisking briskly, combine all of the ingredients. I started by whisking the eggs until they were fluffy and light, then whisking in the milk, then adding the flour and salt, then finally the melted butter, whisking well after each addition. The final batter was thinner than pancake batter and was very well incorporated.
Cover the bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.
When you are ready to cook your crepes, remove the batter and stir it well to ensure everything is well combined. Heat a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure the skillet is nice and hot before you pour in the batter. Measure out 1/4 cup of batter and carefully pour it onto one side of the pan, while tilting the pan so that the batter slides down. Swirl the pan carefully so that the batter creates a thin coating over the whole bottom of the pan.
Put the skillet back on the heat and cook the crepe until the edges begin to brown lightly and dry out, about 1 minute. Loosen the crepe around the edge with a heat-proof spatula and gently (but quickly!) pick up the edges of the hot crepe with your fingers and give it a fast flip. Cook the other side for 30 seconds or so until lightly golden brown and cooked through.
To store leftover crepes (or if you are making these advance): once the crepes have cooled, stack them between pieces of parchment or wax paper. Wrap the stack of crepes in plastic wrap and store them in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or for up to 2 months in the freezer. Completely thaw frozen crepes before carefully pulling them apart.


Caramelized Bananas
(my own method)

1-2 bananas, sliced in about 1/2 inch slices (I intended to use two, but, due to unexpected toddler hunger, used only 1 1/2)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-2 tablespoons light brown sugar (depending on how sweet you want yours)

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the banana slices, then sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cook the bananas, stirring well, until they caramelize and the syrup is thick and golden.


To serve:
As each crepe is ready, place it on a plate and spoon a line of the banana filling down the center. Roll the crepe and enjoy!

(If I were being fancy, I would have spooned more of the caramel syrup on top of the rolled crepe, or maybe topped them with a sprinkling of powdered sugar... be creative!)

Enjoy!