Best of Breakfast, Brunch or Dessert! A Taste of Washington State's Old Hen B&B (Recipe: Praline Pumpkin Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling)

When Deanna Morauski contacted me to share one of her favorite fall and winter recipes on the pages of Inn Cuisine, I jumped at the chance! I've been a huge culinary fan of Deanna's ever since she wowed me with her homemade Panoramic Sugar Easter Eggs. Then, when she let it slip she was also celebrating her culinary feature on Joey Fatone's (remember him from 'N Sync?) new LiveWell Network show My Family Recipe Rocks, I wanted to do everything I could to help. Deanna is a fabulous B&B cook and it is my honor to feature her & her recipe(s) on Inn Cuisine. 

Imagine the smooth, mild flavor of pumpkin crepes filled with sweetened cream cheese that's been kissed by a touch of citrus. Delicately wrapped then bundled in two's and three's, now imagine drizzling these crepes with the sweet, caramel flavor of homemade praline sauce. Topped with dollops of homemade whipped cream, you're ready to treat your taste buds and guests to an unriveled savoring of the season. 

Deceptively easy to recreate once you get the knack of making crepes down (it's all in the wrist action and quick spreading of batter in a heated, non-stick pan), the rest of this recipe goes together in a snap! While my method of cooking crepes differs from Deanna's, both can be replicated with great success. Simply pick your crepe making method of preference and get ready to ring in the holidays & beyond with the punch of praline & pumpkin in this sweet and flavorful way!

Praline Pumpkin Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling

A "Best of" Inn Cuisine, recipe courtesy The Old Hen B&B, located in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington (just 30 minutes east of Seattle)

PUMPKIN CREPES INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in blender in order listed. Blend until it becomes a lovely, thin, creamy batter.

Turn burner for crepe pan (non-stick crepe pan recommended) to just above low heat. Get 1/3 measuring cup ready. Place about 1/4 teaspoon of butter in pan (optional with a non-stick pan). Melt & spread butter around.

Crepes should be very thin. Allow to cook until top is done, then flip over to cook other side. When finished cooking, place on a plate. Stack crepes. This recipe makes about 8 crepes – depending on the size of your crepe pan.

*note* for my Alternative Method for Cooking Crepes, please see the note at the end of this recipe

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar

Blend all cream cheese filling ingredients together well. You can plop small scoops on the top of the bread pudding or you can use a decorating bag and make pretty swirls like this.

Spread cream cheese filling onto each crepe and roll. 

PRALINE SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (may substitute chopped walnuts if you prefer)
  

Melt butter on medium-low heat, watching closely so it does not burn. After melting butter, add sugars. Whisk together and let simmer on medium-low heat until it gets foamy. Let cook this way for about 4 minutes. Stir in cream, salt and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Drizzle over crepes.

WHIPPED CREAM:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make whipped cream, whip heavy cream in a very clean mixing bowl until it has soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix again until it has stiff peaks. Place in a large decorating bag with a large border tip. Decorate top of crepes by making a lovely border down the middle with whipped cream. If desired, sprinkle finished crepes with pumpkin spice and powdered sugar.

*Alternative Method for Cooking Crepes

Prepare batter as listed above, blending until smooth. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until pan is quite hot. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter all at once, then very quickly (using a sharp, decisive wrist movement) tilt the pan in circles until the batter spreads out evenly, forming a crepe. Return pan to heat and cook crepe until lightly brown, no longer than about 30-45 seconds; then flip and cook crepe on opposite side another 10-15 seconds. Repeat, using up the rest of the batter. As you finish, stack crepes between sheets of parchment or waxed paper to prevent sticking.

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Meet the Innkeeper! More about Deanna Morauski...

Deanna’s love for baking and cooking began as she sat upon a baker’s stool as a little girl. Her love for people grew in the midst of church potlucks. Today, she combines and expresses her loves creatively through speaking, writing for her own food blog, television appearances, as well as hosting guests (including celebrities!) at her inn, The Old Hen Bed & Breakfast in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington.

You can see Deanna in action on Joey Fatone's new television show My Family Recipe Rocks on the LiveWell Network this month. She will be making four scrumptious recipes throughout an entire episode filmed at her B&B, The Old Hen. Follow along on her Facebook page for updates and for the air date for the upcoming show at facebook.com/theoldhen. Note: air date for Deanna's feature has been scheduled for October 27th, 2012 at 6PM Pacific Time.