I admit it. I have an ongoing love affair with extraordinary breakfast items.
I’m not sure when it started, perhaps over a bowl of Freakies cereal or Mr. Wonderful Surprise back in the early 70’s. (The lucky few who remember those decadent, sugar laden cereal’s will know what I am talking about.) And it’s this ongoing love affair that’s to blame for my fascination with the cuisine of bed & breakfast inns. I can sum it up in 3 words: decadent, pampered and indulged.
Flash forward to 2008—my tastes for breakfast treats have become somewhat more refined. I often forgo delicious, mouthwatering, caramel-oozing cinnamon rolls and sticky, sweet, jam-filled danish for more healthful (gah), fiber-filled choices like steel-cut oats, fresh fruit and whole grain breads.
But every once in a wild weekend, I fearlessly step outside the box of should-eats and jump squarely into the world of must-eats. One constant, menu-topping item in that world is crepes filled with hot pepper raspberry cream.
Quite unexpectedly, this recipe was discovered while admiring a set of Calphalon cookware at a now defunct Marshall Fields in Chicago where a woman was bravely demonstrating non-stick skillets by preparing these crepes. While the Calphalon collection was lovely, the crepes were to-die-for and I returned home with multiple jars of the Rothschild Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves that this recipe calls for.
Proving once again that inspiration for delightful recipes can be found in the most unlikely of places (including the kitchenwares section of a department store), I urge you to keep your eyes open and wits about you while browsing. And when you’re in the mood to create a super fast, surprisingly convenient crepe escape on your own once in a wild weekends, I hope you’ll turn to this recipe time and again as it’s a little sweet, a little spicy and a whole lot of D-E-L-E-C-T-A-B-L-E.
Bonus – This recipe is so easy to prepare, your guests will think you slaved for hours in the kitchen when in fact you spent only minutes. This, dear cooks, can be our little secret.
Enjoy!
The epitome of easy peasy—all the ingredients you’ll need to create this crepe escape.
To access the recipe and tutorial for creating basic crepes, click here. Be sure to follow the instructions for creating basic sweet crepes.
Filling
- 8 ounces (1 brick) softened Cream Cheese (feel free to substitute Mascarpone Cheese if you prefer)
- 1 jar Rothschild Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves
Toppings to Garnish (if desired)
- 1 cup freshly whipped Cream
- a dusting of Powdered Sugar
- fresh berries including Raspberries, Blueberries and Blackberries
Assembling the Crepes
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and Rothschild Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves by hand or with a mixer.
Divide the filling evenly among the crepes (approximately 3-4 heaping tablespoons full per crepe, depending on your preferences & crepe diameter) and spread across the center of each crepe. Because I like the filling to squish out of our crepes when cutting into them, I spread it on fairly thick (as you’ll see in the photos.) But be careful not to go overboard. It is possible to get too much of a good thing.
Fold one side over the filling (almost covering it),
then fold again before bringing the opposite side over and forming a neatly sealed crepe.
Place assembled crepes on serving plates and top with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, a sprinkling of powdered sugar and/or fresh berries including raspberries, blueberries and blackberries and a sprig of mint to garnish. Or, if you prefer, top with nothing at all. These crepes are delightful in the buff, so the choice is yours.
While the appeal of this recipe comes from the tangy and unexpected flavor combination of the sweet and spicy filling, the filling could easily be tailored to fit other tastes. If spicy isn’t your thing, try another type of preserve. I currently have a jar of both Kadota Fig and Boysenberry preserves stocked in the pantry for this very reason.
When I experiment with an amended version of this recipe, rest assured I’ll post the results here. In the meantime, if you give this recipe a whirl or create an amended version of your own, be sure to share your experience by posting your results in this recipe’s comment section. I’d love to hear what you’ve come up with!
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
That is a delightfully curious flavor for the filling! A sweet and spicy crepe sounds like a very fun change–my mind gets trapped in the sweet realm, but I’ll have to try this one for sure! It looks great
Yeah! More crepe fillings!
I’m definitely coming to your house for breakfast — in my house, breakfast is cereal with fruit, and on the weekends…. cereal with fruit!
You know…I try to answer comments in the order received, but in this instance – LYDIA – your comment had me laughing out loud. I love the understated humor with your whole, “In my house, breakfast is cereal with fruit, and on the weekends… cereal with fruit!” Too funny (once upon a time, those were my breakfasts too).
Susan – Glad you liked the additional crepe fillings (they don’t get easier than this!)
Mike – I’m absolutely mad for the flavor of this filling. The hot pepper raspberry preserves add such a nice dimension to the crepes, even when I have served this to people who weren’t sure they’d like it, all of them asked for more.
I am always on the lookout for delicious breakfast ideas. This sure beats my usual fare, although I do enjoy my cottage cheese and tomatoes, and yogurt with honey.
Hey there – if we ever go to breakfast together, just an FYI that its going to be oooey gooey cinnamon roll kind of thing. None of this steel cut oats business
You can make these for me any day of the week though 