These chocolate crêpes from Tom Aikens, made with butter, sugar, flour, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, eggs, and milk, are a simple and spectacular chocolate-lover's dessert (though we may have been caught indulging in them at breakfast, too).
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 16to 20 servings
Calories: 137
Ingredients
4tablespoons (1/2 stick)unsalted butter, plus more for the pans
2ouncesdark (70% cocoa solids) chocolate, broken into pieces
1 3/4cupsall-purpose flour
1/3cupsuperfine sugar (or just blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery), plus extra for sprinkling
Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate and heat until melted. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, if using.
☞ TESTER TIP: Questioning whether to add that pinch of salt? Seriously consider it. The salt really draws out the distinct notes of whatever chocolate you choose to use.
Make a well in the flour mixture and then stir in the beaten eggs, then the 2 cups milk, and then the melted chocolate mixture. Pour the batter through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon. Let the batter rest at room temperature for an hour or two.
When you’re ready to cook, heat a large nonstick skillet and rub with a little butter. Line a plate with parchment paper and place it alongside the stove.
Add enough batter to the pan to thinly coat the surface when you tilt it from side to side. (This gets easier with practice.) Cook the crêpe for a minute on each side, using a thin spatula to carefully flip it or, if you dare, a flick of the wrist to send the crêpe into the air.
Slide the crêpe onto the parchment-lined plate and sprinkle with more sugar.
Continue to cook the crepes in the same fashion until all the batter is used, layering them on the plate and sprinkling each one with a pinch of sugar as you go. You may wish to swipe the pan with a touch of butter in between crêpes.