Growing Chefs! Ontario Apple Crepes with Whiskey Salted Caramel and Candied Bacon

Apple Crepes with Whiskey Salted Caramel and Candied Bacon

Crepes can be filled with a wide assortment of options, but the focus here is on balancing out the sweetness with some tart apples, smokey bacon and salt
Difficulty
Intermediate
Yield
Serves 6-8

Crepes

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour1/2 cup milk1/3 cup water2 Eggs2 tablespoons butter, melted2 teaspoons lemon juice1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest1/4 teaspoon salt4 apples, peeled and sliced1 Lemon, zest and juice

Salted Caramel

Ingredients
1 cup sugar1/4 cup water3 tablespoons butter, cubed and cold2/3 cup 35% cream1 teaspoon kosher salt2 tablespoons whiskey

Candied Bacon

Ingredients
5 strips bacon1 tablespoon brown sugar
Equipment
Bowls various sizesMeasuring cupsMeasuring spoonsMedium potSpatulaWhiskDish towelTasting spoonsRectangular pan, 12x12

Directions

Get Organized!

Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Get Prepped!

For the salted caramel, in a small pot add your sugar and water. Turn to medium heat and let simmer, without stirring, until the sugar begins to develop a golden-brown colour, anywhere from 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and very carefully whisk in unsalted butter and 35% cream. Return to heat just to bring to a boil, add salt and whiskey and let cool slightly before serving.

To candy the bacon, preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon. Bake for 12 – 16 minutes. Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until as dark as mahogany. Remove from the oven and cool the bacon on a wire rack.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crepe batter and mix very well with a whisk. Allow the batter to rest for 10 – 15 minutes before making the crepes.

Get Cooking!

Melt a small amount of butter in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.

Add about 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter. Pour off any excess batter back into the bowl.

Cook the crepe for approximately 1 minute, until it is slightly golden underneath.

Loosen the edges of the crepe, then slide a spatula under it and gently flip. Cook for another 45 seconds to a minute, then transfer the cooked crepe to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, lightly greasing the pan between each crepe.

For assembly, place sliced apples along half of the crepe and fold over. Top with warm caramel sauce and candied bacon.