Chocolate Nutella Banana Crepes

Leisurely summer mornings with no real schedules and definitely no alarm clocks have not taken us long to get used to.  With our mornings free of demands, Liv and I have taken to enjoying more elaborate breakfasts in place of the school morning quick and easy bowl of cereal.  While oatmeal is a favorite of mine, Liv prefers her morning meal with a little more pizazz (though I personally maintain that my Vanilla Spiced Oatmeal is pretty darn snazzy).  Requests of Buttermilk Pancakes, Vanilla Waffles and Strawberry/Mango Smoothies have met my ears nearly as soon as she wakes, but today's Chocolate Nutella Banana Crepes have become an all time favorite.

As easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!  Clockwise:  1.  Slather with Nutella  2.  Layer with bananas  3.  Fold  4.  Garnish with powdered sugar

Last summer's welcomed discovery that crepes really are not all that difficult to make has opened up a new world for us.  From plain old Strawberry Crepes to Peach Crepes to Orange Crepes, we have been stepping out and experimenting with flavors.  Most of the recipes are oft repeated, however these Chocolate Crepes have become the most frequently visitors to our kitchen.  Liv has her own splattered copy of our recipe tucked away on my cookbook shelf and now pulls it out without even asking.  She gets right to mixing and only seeks me out when it's time to flip the crepes in the pan.

Her first version from last summer had the chocolate crepe layered with a homemade chocolate sauce (I'll admit to adding a splash of Grand Marnier to mine) and Bananas, however our next summer of 2010 discovery, Nutella, has since replaced the sauce and made the concoction even easier to put together.  A simple slather of Nutella down the center of the crepe serves as a base for the sliced bananas.  Rolled and then topped with powdered sugar the crepes are rolled in a flash and ready to start you day.  (note:  prepping the actual crepe takes about 30 min).

It's not often that I gush about a flavor combination, however chocolaty Nutella topped with sweet banana and all wrapped up in that thin pancake-like crepe has me groaning with pleasure at the mere thought of the creamy decadence.

Chocolate Nutella Banana Crepes

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½ cup milk (I used fat-free with a splash of cream)

1 Tbs butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs cocoa powder
2 Tbs powdered sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Nutella

2-3 ripe bananas, sliced

Powdered sugar to garnish

n a medium bowl stir together the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla.  Whisk in the cocoa powder until completely incorporated, then the powdered sugar, and lastly the flour.  Allow to rest for about 15 minutes.

Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or coat with a very small amount of butter.  Pour approximately ¼ cup of the batter into the pan and swirl to form a very thin disk.  Cook for about 2 minutes then use a fork or spatula to flip, cook about 1 minute more or until completely cooked.

Place the crepe on a plate.  Slather with Nutella (1-2 Tbs - or more if desired) and layer sliced banana over Nutella.  Fold crepe closed, preferably with the seam side down. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Repeat the process for each crepe and serve warm - but the crepes are just as good cold!