Coconut delight: Crafting Raffaello-inspired pancakes

Do you like pancakes and Raffaello? This dessert will meet all your expectations. Pancakes with coconut filling are definitely more substantial than delicate pralines, but their taste is perfectly recreated. They don't lack the coconut and almond notes.

Raffaello pralines appeared in 1990 and have enjoyed unwavering popularity ever since. They are associated with a cloud-like, delicate dessert. This association is also evoked by their white colour. A small ball of thin wafer is filled with a milky cream with an almond inside, and the whole is sprinkled with coconut flakes. This flavour has been recreated in many popular cakes. The cream for them is prepared based on mascarpone cheese and double cream with the addition of coconut flakes. Such a recipe is perfect as a filling for pancakes.

Pancakes with cheese-based filling are nothing new. This dish is well known. It uses farmer's cheese, which is seasoned with cinnamon and vanilla. For Raffaello pancakes, Italian mascarpone cheese, which is extremely creamy, is used. Combined with double cream, it creates a delicate, milky stuffing similar to the one found in pralines. Of course, coconut flakes and grated almonds are added to it to obtain the characteristic Raffaello flavour.

To avoid ruining the effect of this delicate dessert, you need to pay attention to the frying of the pancakes. They should be thin, biscuit-like, and most importantly, not soaked with fat. Remember, they function as the wafer of the praline. Therefore, it's worth making the pancake batter earlier and setting it aside for a while. We recommend using cake flour and adding double cream to the batter. It's best to fry them on a dry pan. They will then be the perfect base for this exquisite dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs,
• 1 cup of cake flour,
• a pinch of salt,
• 120 millilitres of water,
• 120 millilitres of milk,
• 120 millilitres of double cream,
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter for the batter,
• butter for frying.

For the filling:

• approximately 140 millilitres of double cream (30%),
• 1 tablespoon of icing sugar,
• approximately 140 grams of mascarpone,
• 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes,
• 1 tablespoon of grated almonds, optional.

Decoration:

• whipped cream.

Preparation method:

1. Start by preparing the pancakes. Sift the flour into a bowl, and add salt.
2. Add milk, cream, water, and previously beaten eggs to the flour. Blend the mixture into a smooth mass using a high-speed mixer, gradually adding melted butter. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the pan and lightly grease it with butter using a brush.
4. Pour portions of the batter onto the hot pan and spread them evenly over the entire surface. Fry the pancakes to a golden colour on both sides.
5. To prepare the filling, mix cold cream on high speed with icing sugar, gradually adding mascarpone.
6. At the end of whipping, add coconut flakes and almonds. Mix everything.
7. Place a portion of the filling on the pancakes and roll them into rolls or fold them into envelopes.
8. Serve the pancakes with a portion of whipped cream; fresh fruit also pairs well.