spiced rum banana foster crêpes

i don't know why it has taken me this long to post crepes! my mom & i used to make these all the time when we had family/friends over for dinner. this year for christmas, i even surprised my parents with a fancy staub crepe pan so they could get serious about their crepe making. bananas foster is my favourite crepe topping/anything topping. spooning some hot rum caramel sauce over vanilla bean ice cream.. mmmmm. when i told justin i was making bananas foster he said "what is that?". my jaw dropped. i thought everyone knew what bananas foster was, but apparently i was wrong. so if you are asking the same thing, just please stop what you are doing & make these RIGHT now. to put a long story short, it is now one of justin's favourite recipes to date. he ate both plates to himself the second i was done the shoot! these ones are made with the most delicious small batch twenty boat cape cod spiced rum. this spiced rum is heavy in notes of cardamom, vanilla bean & cinnamon, which to me just screamed bananas foster. it is important to use a high quality spiced rum when making this dish as the rum flavour really comes through strongly! if you are preparing this dessert fresh for guest, it is one of those dishes where you can look super bad ass & light the sauce pan on fire as soon as you add the rum. just be sure not to burn any eyebrows off;)

ingredients

for the crepes

• 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled

for the spiced rum banana foster

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup twenty boat spiced rum
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 bananas, sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream

directions

for the crepes

• using a blender or food processor add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, milk, eggs & butter. blend until a smooth batter is formed. let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• once batter has rested, heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. adding a touch of butter per crepe, scoop 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet & swirl around the pan until a very thin pancake has formed. cook for 1-2 minutes per side. repeat until no batter remains.

for the banana foster

• in a skillet over medium heat add butter, sugar, rum, vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg. bring to a boil & let simmer until the sugar fully dissolves.
• add the sliced bananas & cook until bananas soften. about 2-4 minutes.
• serve over warm crepes & top with a generous dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or both.. yolo)!

this post was created in partnership with south hollow spirits. the recipe features their twenty boat hand crafted spiced rum! south hollow spirits makes their rum in small batches starting with organic cane sugar & organic molasses. banana foster deserves only the best of rum & you can find the twenty boat spiced rum here. 

ROSE WATER CUPCAKES

happy weekend! here are those rose frosted cupcakes i have been going on about all week. i figured it was only fitting to flavour the actual cake & frosting with rosewater too! while i am all about piping my cupcakes mile high, i know a lot of people don't like that much frosting. so for the bridal shower i baked for i decided to keep it minimal. an elegant rose using just a touch of frosting. the technique isn't as difficult as it may look, just check out some youtube videos & you should be good to go. on a side note, with asparagus in season (my favourite season) i made a roasted asparagus & pancetta risotto for the crate & barrel blog. omg, risotto was one of my favourite dishes growing up! adding some asparagus, cured meats & freshly grated parmesan cheese makes it that much better. you can get the recipe on crate & barrel here & the recipe to these rose water cupcakes below.

ingredients

(makes one dozen cupcakes)

for the cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 1/2 cup whole milk

for the frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups icing sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 2-3 drops pink food colouring

directions

• preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar. add the egg, followed by the vanilla & rosewater. mix until light and fluffy.
• in a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. gradually add to stand mixer at low speed, alternating with the milk.
• divide batter evenly amongst 12 lined cupcake tins. bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the top bounces back to touch. let cool completly before frosting.
• for the buttercream add butter, sugar, vanilla & rose water to the bowl of a stand mixer. beat until frosting is light & fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. add two to three drops of food colouring until the desired colour is reached.
• finish off by frosting each cupcake with a rose shaped swirl.

like what you see? get it here. grey cake stand | linens | reclaimed serving tray

matcha white chocolate mousse

yay to more matcha!! i am kind of becoming obsessed with the combination of green tea & white chocolate, the two flavours compliment each other perfectly. the sweetness of the white chocolate helps offset the earthiness of the green tea. i am a huge white chocolate lover, even though it is technically not chocolate. growing up my sisters would each get a giant milk chocolate bunny at easter & i would get a special white chocolate one! after making that delicious white chocolate matcha cake, i wanted to do a lighter style dessert featuring the same flavours. mousse is quite an elegant dessert to serve if you are hosting any type of gathering. serving individually portioned dessert at the end of a dinner party makes it much more classy. the mousse itself features aiya matcha's cooking grade matcha powder & white chocolate, while the whipped cream topping is sweetened slightly with additional white chocolate. i topped it with toasted coconut flakes & a touch of matcha powder, but you can top the mousse with anything you like! fresh berries anyone?

ingredients

for the white chocolate matcha mousse

• 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon matcha powder (i used aiya matcha cooking grade)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the white chocolate whipped cream

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 ounces white chocolate, melted & cooled
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup toasted coconut, for topping

directions

• for the white chocolate matcha mousse: in a saucepan on low heat add 1/4 cup whipping cream, chocolate, 1 tablespoon matcha powder, sugar & vanilla. whisk until chocolate has fully melted & mixture is smooth. let cool to room temperature. in a mixing bowl add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream & whisk until soft peaks are formed. slowly fold in the matcha mixture & the remaining teaspoon of matcha powder until mixture is streak free. pipe or layer into desired serving dish & refrigerate to firm up while you make the whipped cream topping.

• for the white chocolate whipped cream: in a mixing bowl whisk white cream until soft peaks. add chocolate, sugar & vanilla. continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. pipe onto the matcha mousse & sprinkle with toasted coconut/matcha powder. refrigerate until ready to serve!

this post was created in partnership with aiya matcha! you can find the cooking grade matcha powder that i used here. 

like what you see? get it here. le creuset pan | glasses | flatware | linens | animal plates