Mexican Cajeta Caramel Crepes Recipes

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot (not iron), combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla, and place over medium heat. Stir regularly until the milk comes to a simmer and sugar is dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and add dissolved baking soda; it will bubble up at this point, especially with goat's milk. When the bubbles have subsided, return it to the heat.
• Adjust heat so that the mixture is simmering briskly but not boiling. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, about one hour.
• You will now need to stir the milk more regularly as it begins to thicken and turns a caramel-brown color. Don't allow the milk to stick to the bottom of the pot. You can drop a few drops into a small glass of water. If a soft ball forms, the cajeta is ready.
• If you take the pot off the heat and allow the cajeta to cool, it should be a medium-thick sauce. If it's too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the proper consistency. If it is too thin, return to the heat until it thickens.
• When the cajeta is cool, remove the vanilla bean. Strain the cajeta through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or wide-mouthed jar, then scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cajeta. Refrigerate until ready to use. Cajeta is best served warm.

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CREPES, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour and blend again before using.
• Heat a small nonstick pan (about 8 inches) over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Ladle or pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into it, tilting it all around to coat the bottom (the crepes should be thin but not completely see-through). Cook until the top is a nice golden color, flip carefully with a spatula, and cook until the second side is browned, 2 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and repeat to use up all the batter. When all the crepes are stacked up, separate them one by one and stack them again (this is to prevent sticking). The crepes can be made ahead of time and cooled, wrapped well in plastic, and frozen for up to 1 month. Let thaw before proceeding with the recipe.
• TO MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat until it begins to turn a slight brownish color and gives off a nutty aroma. Add the cajeta and milk and cook until bubbly and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the brandy, and return to the heat, tilting the pan slightly to light the alcohol and burn it off (be careful). Add the crepes, one by one, submerging them in the sauce and folding them in half and then in half again so they look like triangles (alternatively, you can form the triangles beforehand and then submerge in the sauce or pour the sauce over them, but if you fold them once they are in the cajeta, you will ensure that they are evenly coated). Place about 3 on each plate and top with some of the toasted pecans.