Dubai chocolate and pistachio crepe roll with crunchy glaze

How about we take a spin on Dubai chocolate, one of the most viral trends of recent months? With this Chocolate and Pistachio Crepe Roll with Crunchy Glaze I bring you today, the turns are literal, because we're going to roll chocolate crêpes filled with pistachio cream. And there's one more twist — the crunch — which in Dubai chocolate is provided by kataifi pastry and in this crepe roll we'll get it from a more accessible ingredient, toasted corn flakes.

Although the recipe for this chocolate and pistachio crepe roll with crunchy glaze isn't complicated, it does require some time and planning. The crepe batter is made in less time than it takes to say "kataifi, kadaifi or kadayif pastry". Making the creamy filling won't take long either, but since you need to heat the cream and then chill it in the fridge for several hours to infuse the pistachios, you need a bit of foresight. And I promise it's worth getting organized, because the result deserves it.

Ingredients

For the chocolate crêpe batter

• 2 and a half cups of all-purpose flour (approx. 300 g)
• 1/2 cup of pure cocoa powder (approx. 45 g)
• 4 whole eggs
• 3 cups of milk (approx. 710 ml of milk)
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (approx. 56 g)
• A pinch of salt

For the pistachio cream filling

• 2 cups of heavy cream 35% fat (approx. 480 g)
• 1 cup of shelled pistachios (approx. 100-120 g)
• 1 teaspoon of matcha powder (optional, to intensify the color)
• 3/4 cup of powdered sugar (approx. 82 g)
• 1 teaspoon of pistachio or almond extract
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of Mascarpone cheese (approx. 215 g)

For the crunchy chocolate ganache glaze

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream 35% fat (approx. 120 g)
• 120 g of couverture dark chocolate 70% cocoa (in pearls or finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (approx. 28 g)
• 1 and a half cups of crunchy toasted corn flakes (approx. 100-120 g)

Preparation

Making the pistachio cream

1. Toast the pistachios in the Le Creuset Essential tri-ply stainless saucepan over heat for about 5 minutes or until you see they're toasted, stirring so they don't burn.
2. Remove them from the heat and pulse them a little using a food processor. They should remain in large, rustic pieces; they shouldn't be too finely chopped.
3. Return the pistachios to the saucepan and pour in half of the cream (240 g) along with the teaspoon of matcha (if using). Heat over medium until the cream starts to boil, stirring so the matcha incorporates. Reserve the remaining 240 g of cream in the fridge.
4. Remove the cream with the pistachios from the heat and put it in the refrigerator, covered, so it cools completely.
   

Making the chocolate crêpes

1. To prepare the crêpe batter, the quickest way is to use a blender or an immersion blender. Put all the ingredients in the blender jar: flour, cocoa powder, eggs, milk, melted butter and the pinch of salt.
2. Blend for about 15-20 seconds, until you have a smooth, airy mixture where all the ingredients are integrated.
3. Heat your Le Creuset cast iron crepe pan until it's very hot, for about 4-5 minutes or so.
4. Grease the crepe pan with a little melted butter (you can help yourself with a silicone brush).
5. Start making the crepes, one by one, pouring enough batter into the crepe pan to cover the bottom. Use a ladle to pour the batter and a wooden spreader to spread it, if needed.
6. Let the crêpes cook on one side until you see it start to bubble (about 1 to 2 minutes). Flip it with a spatula and let it cook on the other side for 1 more minute.
7. When ready, remove it from the heat and place it on baking paper. Repeat the process until the batter is finished, stacking the crêpes one on top of another with parchment between them so they don't stick. With this batter you should get 10 crepes. Set aside until cool.

Making the whipped pistachio cream for the filling

1. Take the cream with the pistachios and matcha out of the fridge. Add the other half of the cream (the remaining 240 g), stir and strain to separate the chopped pistachios. Weigh the resulting cream; you should have about 360 g.
2. Put all the cream in the bowl of your KitchenAid stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the cream until soft peaks form.
3. Gently add the powdered sugar and whip again until soft peaks form.
4. Add the mascarpone, vanilla extract and pistachio or almond extract, and beat just enough to combine. It should be a thick but fluffy cream. Reserve.

Assembling the chocolate and pistachio crepe roll

1. Line a flat tray or baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place two crepes on the paper, side by side, overlapping in the center (as shown in the video). With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the top and bottom edges of the crepes so they are straight.
3. Spread a layer of the pistachio filling and carefully roll the crepes from one of the straight sides.
4. For the second layer, place one crepe in the center and cut another crepe in half. Place the crepe halves on each side of the central crepe so that the curved parts are attached to the center crepe. Trim the top and bottom edges of the crepes again so they are straight, forming a rectangle.
5. Spread another layer of filling and place the first roll on one side of the crepes, rolling it carefully within this second layer.
6. Repeat the process alternating the placement of the crepes (one step with two crepes together and the next with the crepe in the center, as explained in steps 2 and 4), so the roll is as uniform as possible.
7. Do this until the crepes and pistachio filling are used up. You should be able to form 5 layers.
8. When done, roll the crepe roll tightly in the parchment and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you want to prepare ahead, you could make it up to 2 days in advance.

Making the crunchy chocolate ganache glaze

1. Place the couverture chocolate in a bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to boil.
3. Pour the hot cream over the couverture chocolate and add the butter.
4. Let it sit for about 3 minutes and whisk so they mix well and the mixture looks smooth and shiny.
5. Add the corn flakes and gently mix again.
6. Take the very cold crepe roll out of the fridge and gently remove the parchment.
7. Carefully spread the glaze over the entire roll using a pastry spatula, covering it as much as possible, and return it to the fridge to rest for about 15 minutes.
8. Remove the crepe roll from the fridge, trim the ends before serving to reveal the inner spiral, and bring it to the table on a pretty plate or serving tray. They'll give you a standing ovation!