Red Currant Bakery

Candied Hazelnuts
0 Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
2 In a large shallow pan, add in approximately half of the white sugar, all of the brown sugar, and the cinnamon. Stir together with a wooden spoon.
3 Add in the water and stir again. Place over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil.
4 Once it starts to bubble all over, add in the peeled hazelnuts and stir to coat. Reduce the heat slightly – it should still be bubbling.
5 Continue stirring and cooking until all of the liquid has cooked out. It will look as though the sugar is dry and crumbly.
6 Slightly reduce the heat again – depending on your stove it should now be around medium or just below.
7 The sugar will start to caramelize and liquify as it heats and you continue to stir. Once about half of the sugar has turned into caramel, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the hazelnuts and stir together. Cook for about 30 seconds until the new sugar is mixed in but not caramelized.
8 Immediately pour the candied hazelnuts onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Separate the hazelnuts with two utensils and leave to cool fully.
9 Once cooled, roughly chop as many hazelnuts as you'll need to top the crepes.
Crepe Batter
11 Into a blender add in the eggs, melted butter, milk, salt, and flour. Blend until smooth scraping down the sides if necessary.
12 Pour the batter into a bowl and cover with a sheet of plastic or a lid and place it in the fridge for at least an hour.
Soft Whipped Cream
14 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, a little powdered sugar and a touch of vanilla.
15 Whisk by hand until lines appear - we're not going for stiff peaks. Place the bowl in the fridge until it's time to serve.
Cook the Crepes
17 Heat your crepe pan over medium low heat. Give it at least 5-7 minutes to heat up but don't be tempted to turn the heat any hotter.
18 Grease the pan with about 1/2 a teaspoon of butter, we just want to grease the surface so wipe off any excess with a paper towel.
19 Ladle or scoop about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot pan, the batter should sizzle a little. Immediately swirl the pan around to evenly distribute the batter trying to get it as thin as possible. If you have one you can also use a crepe tool to spread it.
20 Cook for about a minute, then check the underside it should be a light golden brown. The crepe should easily release from the pan. Flip the crepe and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a large plate and store it in the microwave to keep them from drying out or getting too cold.
21 Continue cooking until all of the crepe batter has been used.
Caramelized Bananas
23 Heat a large flat pan over medium low heat.
24 While it's heating up, slice the banana into approximately 1" thick slices. Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and then toss in the banana slices.
25 Once the pan is hot but not scorching, add in the butter - it should be enough to create a thin layer of butter but not a pool of it. Let the butter melt and then lay each banana into the pan, they should sizzle slightly but not fry. If the butter seems to be cooking too fast, turn down the heat.
26 Cook until the sugar begins to dissolve and the bananas start to look glossy and syrupy on the bottom side.
27 Use a fork or tongs to flip each banana slice over one at a time. Continue to cook until the second side until it has also browned and looks syrupy and glossy. Turn off the heat but leave them in the pan.
To Serve
29 Scrunch or lay a couple crepes on your plate, then top with a bit of the soft whipped cream, the caramelized bananas, chopped hazelnuts and a dusting of powdered sugar.