Chocolate pancakes

The Entroido or Carnival is here! This week Don Carnal enters the province of Ourense with all the fuss that characterizes him. It begins this February 24 in Verín with the Xoves de Compadres where the trial and burning of the Maragato is carried out, but the thing does not stop there and on February 27 the Corredoiro Sunday will be celebrated with palenque bombs and concentration of the cigarettes in the Plaza del Concello. A week before the climax of the Entroido to which I invite you to meet without a doubt. Do you have no plan for the weekend of 4, 5 and 6 ? A Ourense, Verín, Laza, Xinzo, Maceda, Allariz … all of Ourense gets up to party and brass bands, the best of the year without a doubt.

So this week, as a small tribute to my country and the Entroido, I am going to publish three Carnival recipes that will delight anyone: Chocolate Pancakes or Pancakes, Entroido Orellas and Carnival Flowers. Three carnival desserts that are very easy and simple, specially designed for those with a sweet tooth to put on their boots on these dates. The pancakes are a typical dessert of Galician cuisine in Don Carnal’s time. These are a little tuned, I have dared with chocolate and strawberries to give a new touch to the typical milk pancakes that I have already presented to you in other occasions in a dessert version: pancakes with applesauce , pancakes with chocolate or the strudel pancakes with Catalan cream . We already have strawberries in practically all supermarkets and they combine pearls with chocolate, so I encourage you to prepare them at home, and if it is in Ourense next week, better than better. Another yummy dessert.

Preparation of the chocolate crêpes

The chocolate crêpe cream-paste is quite easy to prepare and faster than the typical milk, because thanks to cocoa it is made earlier. In a few seconds we have the first and in less than 10 minutes, crepes for a regiment.

1. In a large bowl add the milk, flour, a pinch of salt, butter in ointment, cocoa powder and eggs. Mix everything with the mixer without lumps. Let it rest for an hour so that it thickens slightly (although the cream must be loose).
2. In a non-stick frying pan or hot crepe pan, spread a little butter or bacon (we use a punctured piece on a fork). If you use butter, an easy trick is to break a little into a stick, wrap one end in aluminum foil to hold it and spread the pan on the other. Spread the entire pan in this way until the butter is melted, it should not be very greasy but we should not fall short either. If you use bacon it is easier, you just have to prick it with a fork and rub the pancake until it is well impregnated.
3. When the frying pan is hot, add the cream so that it covers the entire bottom, just enough so that they are fine. I use a pan-crepe pan from Le Creuset , it’s great because its design is smooth, the heat distribution is immediate and so I can control the thickness of the pancake without going over and I still have all the same. It is also made of iron, which is a perfect conductor of heat, so I can cook on medium or low heat.
4. The measure of cream is that of a ladle (do not pour too much because they will be very fat). We lift, tilt and turn the crepe maker so that the cream is distributed throughout the entire bottom.
5. The pancake will start to cook instantly, we will have it for 10-15 seconds at medium-low temperature and when the edges begin to fold up (because they are toasted) it is the right time to turn it with the fork or with your fingers. In the case of these chocolate pancakes it is easy to know when they are made, because they change color immediately. When they are dark chocolate color it is the right time to turn it around.
6. When you turn it over if the tone of the toast is not golden it will be due to a lack of egg, you can take advantage of adding another one to the cream. Brown on both sides and stack on a large plate. Remember that the first pancake is trial (I gobble it down at the moment). It is the most greasy because the frying pan picks up the temperature point and the degree of fat of the butter, the second is usually perfect.
7. We continue making the crêpes until the cream is finished. If the fork is not good for you, you can use the trick of turning the pancake with a plate as if it were a potato omelette, as it takes practice it is no longer necessary, and with this crepe maker from Le Creuset it is very easy do it with fingers.

Preparation of the filling and presentation

1. To prepare the crispy, toast the chopped nuts in a frying pan with a little butter. When they start to turn golden, remove the pan and add a tablespoon of icing sugar and another of cinnamon. We continue to sauté 1-2 minutes over medium heat until it reaches a crisp toasted tone. Remove from the pan and let cool. When they are cold we will mix with the cookies.
2. We break the Digestive type cookies into small pieces and mix them with the part of the crispy nuts until obtaining a homogeneous mixture that will be part of the filling of the pancakes.
3. We wash the strawberries well to remove possible impurities and cut into cubes. We reserve for each one to fill to their liking, if you want you can accompany it with whipped cream.
4. And for the chocolate cream we just have to heat the cream over low heat and before it boils add the previously cut chocolate chips and stir with a few rods until it turns into cream (the process does not take even 2 minutes). We remove from the heat so that it hardens and remember that we can heat it in the micro before serving.

This recipe gives about 12 pancakes, so what is said to be hungry … we did not pass, it was the success of Saturday afternoon. Once cold pancakes can be stored in the fridge or even frozen, although at home they are not usually left over … hehe. And there you have them as appetizing as in the photo.