Sweet Fruit-Filled Rolls

17/11/2023

Sweet fruit-filled rolls are a delicious dessert that can be made in various ways. A classic interpretation might be thin, sweet crêpes or crespelle filled with fresh fruit and perhaps a bit of cream. Here’s how you could make sweet fruit-filled rolls with an Italian touch, using crespelle, which are similar to crêpes, as an example.

Ingredients

For the crespelle:

100 g of flour
2 eggs
250 ml of milk
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar (optional for a sweeter version)
Butter for greasing the pan

For the filling:

Fresh fruit of your choice (strawberries, bananas, peaches, apricots, etc.)
250 g of ricotta or mascarpone
Powdered sugar as needed
Vanilla (a pod or essence) to taste
Lemon juice (optional)

Preparation

Start by preparing the batter for the crespelle by mixing the flour with eggs, milk, a pinch of salt, and sugar if you wish. Work the mixture until you have a smooth, homogeneous batter; if there are lumps, pass the mixture through a sieve.
Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the filling. Wash and cut the fresh fruit into small pieces and season with a bit of powdered sugar and lemon juice to enhance the flavor.
If using ricotta or mascarpone, whip it with some powdered sugar and vanilla until you have a soft, spreadable cream.
Heat a non-stick pan and lightly grease it with butter. Pour a ladle of batter into the pan, tilting it to distribute the mixture evenly.
Cook the crespella until the edges begin to lift, then flip it and cook the other side.
Once all the crespelle are ready, spread them with the ricotta or mascarpone cream, add the fruit pieces, and roll up the crespelle.
Serve the rolls sprinkled with powdered sugar, or with a drizzle of honey or melted chocolate if you prefer a sweeter note.

Curiosity

In Italy, it’s common to find both sweet and savory crespelle. When served as a dessert, they often accompany regional recipes and can be filled with local ingredients, like Nutella in Piedmont, where it was invented!