Chocolate Walnut Crêpespalacinke Lidia Bastianich Recipes

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and fine salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until incorporated. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon ice water in a small bowl; add to the food processor and pulse once or twice to moisten the flour. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; use the plastic to help form the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate, then fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edge with your fingers. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Make the filling: Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 8 minutes; transfer to a bowl and set aside. Return the empty baking sheet to the lower oven rack. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat until foamy and golden brown, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, liqueur and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the browned butter until smooth.
• Scatter half each of the walnuts and chocolate in the prepared crust. Pour in the filling, then top with the remaining walnuts and chocolate. Transfer the pie to the hot baking sheetin the oven. Bake until the crust is golden and the nuts have browned, about 30 minutes. Cover the pie loosely with foil; continue baking until the filling is set and the center is slightly puffed, 25 to 30 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• To make the palacinke batter, whisk together the eggs, 2 cups water, the rum, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, until well blended. Sift the flour on top, a bit at a time, whisking each addition in until smooth. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, whisking until the batter has slightly thickened, with the consistency of melted ice cream. Finally, whisk in the lemon zest. Put the remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter in a small cup and keep it warm.
• Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces, and put them in a bowl set in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir until completely smooth, and keep it warm, in the water, off the heat.
• Set the crêpe pan or skillet over medium-high heat until quite hot. Pour in a couple tablespoons of the reserved melted butter, quickly swirl it all over the pan bottom, then pour excess butter back into the cup, leaving the bottom lightly coated with sizzling butter. (If the butter doesn't sizzle, heat the pan longer before adding the batter.) Immediately ladle in a scant 1/3 cup of batter, tilt and swirl so it coats the bottom, and set the pan on the burner.
• Lower the heat to medium, and cook the palacinka for a little less than a minute, until the underside is lightly browned in a lacy pattern. Flip it over with a spatula, and fry for ½ minute or longer, until the second side is lightly browned, then remove it to a warm platter. Heat the empty pan briefly, then rapidly coat it with butter, fill it with batter, and cook another palacinka. Repeat the sequence, stacking up the finished palacinke on the platter, until all the batter is used up.
• Fill and serve the palacinke as soon as possible, while fresh and warm. Keep the platter in a warm spot, and cover the stack with a tent of foil or a large bowl turned upside down. Whip the heavy cream, unsweetened or with sugar to taste, to soft peaks. Stir the melted chocolate, and reheat it if necessary so it is smooth and warm.
• Take one palacinka off the stack, and place it with its lacy patterned side down. Spoon a generous tablespoon (or more) warm chocolate in the center of the pancake, and spread it over the palacinka, leaving an inch-wide border uncoated. Scatter a spoonful of chopped walnuts on the chocolate layer, then fold the round in half, hiding the fillings, and fold again into a plump quarter-round.
• Fill and fold all the palacinke the same way. For each serving, place two quarter-rounds, overlapping, on a dessert plate, heap some cream on top, scatter some nuts on top of the cream, and drizzle warm chocolate in streaks and squiggles over the palacinke and the plate.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Press pie crust in 8- or 9-inch pie plate; crimp edges as desired. Place in refrigerator.
• In large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and salt. Add eggs, melted butter and vanilla; mix until combined. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in pie crust.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until pie is golden. Cool completely before serving, 1 to 2 hours. Top each serving with whipped cream.