Valentine’s dessert

Valentine’s Day is Friday. Are you ready? Maybe this decadent chocolate dessert will get you in the mood.

Barbara Fenzl taught this recipe during the last semester of classes at Les Gourmettes Cooking School. It is too creative, beautiful, and delicious to not share with you. <3

Banana “Tacos” with Chocolate Sauce

“Taco” Crêpes
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Banana Filling
5 ripe bananas
1/4 cup tequila
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream, heated

Chocolate Sauce
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup strong coffee

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and coarsely chopped
Powdered sugar for dusting

Crêpes:  Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, chile powder, and salt, and set aside. Measure milk in a glass measuring cup and add butter, heat in the microwave until butter is melted.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the eggs, whisking until well incorporated. Slowly pour the warm milk-butter mixture into the batter, and whisk to blend. Strain the batter through a fine sieve into a large glass measuring cup and set aside to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Heat a flat griddle to medium-high heat, using a ladle drop about 2 tablespoons of the batter onto the griddle, forming a 4 to 5-inch crêpe. When the bubbles begin to form, turn the crêpe over, cook briefly, and then flip it onto a flat plate. Continue cooking and stacking the crepes until the batter is gone, making between 18-20 crepes.

Filling:  Peel the bananas and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch coins. Place the bananas, tequila, and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat and add the sugar. Cook over high heat until the sugar is melted and turns light brown.

Stay at the stove and watch the pan carefully, tilting the skillet as the sugar melts in the hot spots in the skillet.

Carefully add the warm cream.

It will bubble up and steam.

Continue cooking until the mixture is smooth.

Add the banana mixture and sauté bananas until they are softened and caramelized.

Chocolate Sauce:  Put the chocolate chips, chile powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Combine the cream and coffee in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave until boiling.

Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until smooth and put into a plastic squeeze bottle.

Assembly:  Place two crepes on each dessert plate. Spoon equal portions of the banana filling on one half of each pancake. Fold the other half of the crêpe over to resemble a soft taco.

Drizzle the warm chocolate sauce over the tacos, sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, and sift powdered sugar over the entire plate.

Serves 8 to 10