Luscious Cheese Crepes With Apricot Sauce Recipes

RICOTTA CHEESE CREPES WITH PERSIMMON APRICOT MARMALADE

Steps:

• Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Add the eggs and just enough milk to make a soft paste with the flour. Mix until smooth and lump free. Gradually mix in the rest of the milk and the oil. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick, thin with a bit of water. If it has lumps, pour the batter through a fine strainer. Let the batter rest for 2 hours before making crepes.
• Rub an 8-inch crepe pan, or non stick skillet, lightly with oil. Heat over moderate heat until very hot. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons of the batter. Very quickly tilt the pan to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of batter. Immediately dump out any excess batter since the crepe must be very thin. Return the skillet to the heat for 60 to 90 seconds until the bottom of the crepe is lightly brown. Flip the crepe over and lightly brown the other side.
• Slide the finished crepe onto a plate. Continue making crepes until the batter is finished and stack them on the plate. Cover the finished crepes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the filling, pour ricotta cheese into cheesecloth and tie the cloth in a knot. Put a weight (or filled can) on top of the cheese and place over a colander to drain overnight.
• Mix the cheese, egg yolks, butter, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Place 2 tablespoons in the center of each crepe and roll. Crepes may be filled in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Just before serving, bake in a 250 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Serve crepes warm, sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and powdered sugar to garnish the plate. Top with persimmon and apricot marmalade.
• To make the marmalade, cut apricots in half and reserve. Cut out the leafy base from the persimmon then quarter the fruit lengthwise. Skin each quarter with a knife. Cut the skinned persimmons into small pieces. Combine the fruit into a non aluminum saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, cloves and apricots. Simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly, not letting the marmalade come to a boil. Reduce this mixture to a jam like consistency and chill.
• TIP: Cut off a piece of the pointed tip of a hachiya persimmon, then wrap it tightly, first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Partially thaw the persimmon in the refrigerator until it is just spoonable, about 4 hours, do not thaw completely or the fruit will be mushy. For an added nuance, insert the tip of a knife and dribble in a little fruit or nut liquor. Serve whole and let the guests scoop the pulp from the skin

LUSCIOUS CHEESE CREPES WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• In blender process milk, eggs, melted butter or margarine, sugar and vanilla until blended.
• Add flour and process until smooth.
• In omlet pan or 8" skillet sprayed with cooking spray, pour 1/4 cup batter and tilt pan to allow batter to coat bottom.
• Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until cooked.
• Loosen edges and turn onto plate; keep warm.
• Repeat with remaining batter.
• Evenly spread cream cheese down center of each crepe; sprinkle with toasted almonds, roll up and set aside.
• In same skillet, bring remaining butter or margarine, preserves and liqueur to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and add crepes.
• Cook spooning sauce over crepes, 1 minute or until crepes are heated through.
• Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
• Carefully slide crepes onto serving platter and serve immediately.

POPPY-SEED CHEESE CREPES WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl let the yogurt drain, covered and chilled, for 8 hours. Transfer the yogurt to a bowl, add the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla, and whisk the mixture until it is smooth.
• In a small heavy saucepan combine the apricots, the brown sugar, and 2 1/2 cups water, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes. In a food processor or blender purée the mixture and force it through a sieve into a bowl. The sauce may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the sauce either warm or at room temperature.
• Make 12 crêpes (procedure follows) with the poppy-seed crêpe batter. Mound 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each crêpe and fold the bottom third of the crêpe up over the filling. Fold in 1 inch of each side and fold down the top third of the crêpe to enclose the filling completely, forming a rectangle. Arrange the crêpe in one layer in a shallow baking dish, brush them with the butter, and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 10 minutes. Serve the crêpes with the apricot sauce.
• In a blender or food processor blend the flour, the sugar, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, the milk, the eggs, the butter, the poppy seeds, the zest, and the salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container, and blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the batter to a bowl and let it stand, covered, for 1 hour. The batter may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes enough batter for about 16 crêpes.
• Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with the butter, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and remove it from the heat. Stir the batter, half fill a 1/4-cup measure with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a layer of batter and return any excess batter to bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crêpe with a spatula, and cook the crêpe for 1 minute, or until the top appears almost dry. Turn the crêpe, cook the other side lightly, and transfer the crêpe to a plate. Make crêpe with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with butter as necessary. The crêpes may be made 3 days in advance, kept stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.

AUSTRIAN SWEET CHEESE CREPES BAKED IN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Make filling:
• In a small heatproof bowl plump currants in boiling-hot water 15 minutes and drain. Pat currants dry between paper towels. In a food processor or in a bowl with an electric mixer blend together well cream cheese, jam, yolks, zest, and vanilla. In a bowl with an electric mixer (beaters cleaned if necessary) beat whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar to whites and beat meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Fold cheese mixture into meringue gently but thoroughly and fold in currants.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and lightly butter a 14-inch-long oval gratin dish or other 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
• Working with 1 crêpe at a time, spread 2 generous tablespoons filling on each crêpe, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around, and roll up crêpes jelly-roll fashion. With a sharp knife cut crêpes on a diagonal in half and arrange, overlapping slightly, in layers in baking dish. Crêpes may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring crêpes to at room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small bowl whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and milk and pour over crêpes, letting custard seep between layers. Bake crêpes in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until puffed and custard is set, and cool to warm.
• Dust crêpes with confectioners' sugar and serve with apricot caramel sauce.

BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH ROASTED APRICOTS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, water and sugar. Sift together the buckwheat and all-purpose flour and the salt and whisk into the liquid mixture. Add the melted butter or oil and whisk together. Insert a hand blender and blend for 1 minute. If you don't have a hand blender, blend the mixture in a regular blender for 1 minute and pour back into the bowl. Cover and let sit for 1 hour.
• Place a seasoned or nonstick 7- or 8-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Brush with butter or oil and when the pan is hot, remove from the heat and ladle in about 1/4 cup batter if using an 8-inch pan, 3 tablespoons for a 7-inch pan. Tilt or swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly and return to the heat. Cook for about 1 minute, until you can easily loosen the edges with a spatula and the crepe is nicely browned. Turn and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Turn onto a plate. Continue until all of the batter is used up.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the apricots in a baking dish large enough to accommodate them in a single layer, but not too large. Place the butter, honey and almond extract in a small saucepan or in a ramekin and heat until the butter melts, either on the stove or at 50 percent power for 25 seconds in the microwave. Pour over the apricots and toss together. Turn the apricots cut side down. Place in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the apricots are soft. Remove from the oven.
• Heat the crepes. Place 3 large or 4 small apricot halves on each crepe. Spoon a little of the juice in the pan over the apricots, but leave enough to spoon over the crepes. Sprinkle on some pistachios. Either roll up the crepe or simply fold over the apricots. Spoon juice from the pan over the crepe, garnish with more pistachios and serve. If you wish, serve these with a little honey-sweetened yogurt or vanilla ice cream.