Mandarin crepes with chocolate cream are very easy and quick to prepare. This is a very aromatic and delicious dessert, perfect for both Sunday lunch and Valentine’s Day. The flours I used are all gluten-free, making these crepes suitable for those following a specific gluten-free diet. The chocolate cream, served with the crepes, is made in five minutes and does not require cooking. It is extraordinarily delicious and easy to make. If you want a lactose-free and dairy-free chocolate cream, you can also use vegetable cream cheese, resulting in an equally excellent and indulgent treat.
In the links below, you’ll find the basic recipe for gluten-free and lactose-free crepes; additionally, you’ll find the traditional basic crepes recipe and the egg-free one, both made with conventional flours.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Valentine's Day
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 1 medium whole egg
- 1/2 cup mandarin juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 g fine salt
- to taste finely grated mandarin zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or butter for the pan)
- 2/3 cup cream cheese (also vegetable)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 pinch vanilla paste
Steps
The number of crepes I indicated can vary depending on the size you make them.
With the quantities I provided, I made 8 crepes with a diameter of 5 inches, cooked in a non-stick 6-inch pan with a thick bottom.
Let’s start by preparing our crepes.
Wash the mandarins and extract the juice.
Finely, finely chop the zest of just one mandarin.
Sift the rice flour and potato starch and a pinch of fine salt into a large bowl.
Add the mandarin juice, chopped zest, and the slightly beaten egg.
Add the level teaspoon of honey and vegetable oil.
-Regarding this, I would like to point out that the vegetable oil prevents the crepes from sticking to the pan during cooking, avoiding a sort of “scrambled crepes” when flipping them. The oil can be replaced with a thin layer of butter for each crepe to be cooked.
Mix all the ingredients with a metal whisk until you achieve a smooth, lump-free mixture.
Before scooping a ladle of batter to cook, it’s necessary to stir the mixture each time, as rice flour tends to settle at the bottom of the bowl.
Place the non-stick pan you’ll use for cooking the mandarin crepes over the smallest stove burner on low heat.
Once the pan is hot, pour a ladleful of batter (about 1.4 oz) and ensure the batter spreads evenly across the bottom.
After about a minute, gently separate the crepe with a spatula to flip it over and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Keep the heat low to prevent burning; adjust according to your stove. Don’t worry if the first crepe isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
As the crepes cook, transfer them to a plate, stacking them on top of each other.
When all the crepes are ready, let’s move on to preparing the chocolate cream.
In a large bowl, sift in the cocoa powder. Add the cream cheese (Robiola, Philadelphia-type, or vegetable), powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Mix everything with a fork until you obtain a soft and fluffy cream (it will take about 5 minutes in total).
All that’s left is to spread our fragrant mandarin crepes with this delicious and indulgent chocolate cream and serve them.
Bon appetit
