Cherry Cheese Crepe Cups

Crepe Cups:
1 cup flour
1½ cups chilled seltzer
1 egg yolk, chilled

Cherry Filling:
1 cup Baker’s Choice nougat chips
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
1 cup heavy cream
16 ounces whipped cream cheese, chilled
1¼ cups sugar
7 ounces white chocolate, melted in a microwave or double boiler
1 pound sweet red cherries, pitted and finely diced
1 cup whole cherries, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 2 muffin pans and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and seltzer until no lumps appear. Beat in the egg yolk. Heat a generous amount of oil in a small skillet. When hot, pour  1/3 cup of batter into the pan and cook until edges are golden and crispy. Flip and fry the other side. Remove from pan and press into prepared muffin cup. Continue with remaining batter. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. (The crepe cups keep beautifully in the freezer for up to a month in a sealed container. To defrost, bake for 5 minutes at 350ºF).
3. Prepare the filling. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the nougat chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted. Place 1 tablespoon nougat sauce into each crepe cup and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chopped hazelnuts. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat heavy cream until stiff. Add cream cheese, sugar, and melted chocolate, mixing between each addition until incorporated. Gently fold in the diced cherries.
5. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag with a star tip and fill the crepe cups in a swirling motion. Garnish with whole cherries. Serve.

Yield: 12 cups