Coconut Mojito Crepe Cake

Phew, I just sat down today after wrapping up an epic garage sale.  Whoever said that its bad luck to have one in the rain is just plain mistaken.  I pulled up to the house with a line of cars around the block waiting for me and when the garage door went up they jumped out of their cars and ran for the stuff like a day after Christmas sale.  I had people stealing stuff out of other peoples' piles; I thought I had landed on a reality show titled "Hardcore Garage Salers".  When two ladies started fighting over my cookie jar, I thought I was gonna have to get Hot Dog Dude over there to break them up.  (Please, you didn't think I was gonna get in the middle of that kind of crazy!)

I was asked by a friend about to jet off to Paris to make a version of crepe cake to share with you. Parisian you wanted? I stared aimlessly at photos of complex looking creatures called crepe cakes on the internet for what seemed like an eternity. I recollect it being akin to staring directly into the sun. I knew I shouldn't but I just couldn't take my eyes off of them.

Step 1:
Malibu Mint Syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 ounce Malibu Rum
4 sprigs fresh mint leaves, washed

Place sugar, water, rum and mint leaves in a small saucepan, turn the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off, cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Once cool pour syrup through a strainer and set aside.

If you make nothing else, make yourself a batch of this for your ice tea - trust me on this one.

Step 2:
Crepe Batter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 ounces Malibu Rum
12 ounces milk
1 cup water
6 large eggs
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Zest of one lime

Combine flour, rum, milk, water, eggs, butter, salt, sugar and lime zest in a blender and pulse until combined. (Of course the blender was packed too, so I just whisked it by hand.)

Use a French crepe pan, but a 9" or 10" skillet will work too. Heat the pan on medium heat, when hot add a little sliver of butter, pour in about 1/2 cup or a small ladle full of crepe batter and swirl around until the batter is near the edge of the pan. Let cook undisturbed for about 45-60 seconds, until the top starts to look dry. Jerk the pan a little, if the crepe slides off easily it's ready to flip. Flip and cook a few seconds on the other side.

Place the crepes on a plate to cool for a minute before stacking them on a baking sheet separated by sheets of wax paper.

Makes 12 crepes.

Step 3:
Lime Mascarpone Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pound mascarpone
Zest from one lime

Place the mascarpone and lime zest in a bowl, mix together and set aside.

Add the whipping cream and sugar to a bowl and beat until the whipping cream is stiff. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream at a time into the mascarpone mixture. Set aside.

Step 4:
Assemble the cake:

Spray a 9" spring form pan with no-stick spray. Place a crepe in the bottom of the pan. Use a pastry brush and brush the crepe with a little bit of the Malibu Mint Syrup. Place a small amount of the Lime Mascarpone Cream on top of that and use a small offset spatula to level. Make sure and push the cream all the way to the edge of the pan to fill in any gaps.

Repeat until the pan is filled to the top, ending with the cream mixture.

Place in the fridge overnight.

Garnish with 1 cup of coconut that is toasted in a 350 degree F oven for 3-4 minutes, fresh raspberries and melted chocolate.

Don't deny the urge, you can't resist the crepe cake, it's futile!

Can't wait to hear all about your grand trip Courtney.

Safe Travels,

Gina