Chocolate Crepes with Mascarpone & Toffee

MAKE CREPE BATTER: Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat well. Beat in the sugar, milk, flour, cocoa powder, salt and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

MAKE TOFFEE: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil until golden, 5-7 minutes. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Pour the toffee onto the sheet and tilt so that the toffee forms a thin layer. Let cool and harden for 10 minutes.

Remove the toffee pieces from the baking sheet, place in a bowl and crush the toffee with a spoon. Stir three-fourths of the crushed toffee into the mascarpone. Set aside the remainder for decoration.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water in a double boiler. Stir in the cream until completely blended. Flavor with the brandy, if desired.

MAKE CREPES: Heat a crepe pan or 8-inch nonstick frying pan over moderate heat. Brush the bottom of the pan with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the crepe batter and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly and thinly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the crepe is just set on top and brown underneath. Turn to the other side and cook for 1 minute. Remove to a plate and repeat until all of the mixture is used, making at least 6 crepes.

Stack the cooked crepes on a plate with a piece of parchment or waxed (greaseproof) paper between each crepe. Keep the whole plate covered with a clean dish towel.

When all of the crepes are cooked, place 1 tablespoon of mascarpone and toffee mixture in the center of each crepe. Fold the sides over so that it looks like a pillow.

Serve each crepe drizzled with chocolate sauce and extra toffee.