Electric Chocolatella

My colleague Alexandra's birthday has always been an excuse to try my hand at various French treats. Year 1 was a mille crêpe cake. Year 2 was an apple tart tatin. So here we are at year 3, and despite my lack of cooking verve and overall lunch lady douchebaggery this week, I didn't want to disappoint, especially since she and I both have to be at work today.

I considered chocolate mousse, but thought that bringing in a big bucket to sit on her desk all day wasn't entirely festive, and also crème brûlée, but I haven't yet purchased the requisite fuel canister to go with my kitchen torch. (The words "kitchen torch" make me me think that I should have access to a cellar or at the very least a larder.)

Back to basics, then. Crêpes, straight up. Avec Nutella. Despite my unfortunate disdain for hazelnuts, I accept that this is generally regarded as ideal crêpe topping.

I grew up eating crêpes without realizing that this was perhaps an uncommon occurrence in Midwestern kitchens in the 1980s, since they were consumed with butter and maple syrup and simply called "roll up pancakes." Staple dish of my father's (French-Canadian born) when my mother worked late on Fridays.

Not being a regular purchaser of Nutella, and wanting to get to the crêpe business before my energy waned last night, I asked the first Amish Market employee I encountered if he could point me in the right direction.

"What's that?" he inquires.
"Nutella? It's a chocolate spread. Like, peanut butter-ish." (Such reasoning could have just successfully led me to the peanut butter section on my own, but I was tired.)
This isn't a sufficient explanation for this guy, so he leaves to go find a manager. Manager returns. "What are you looking for?"
"Nutella," I state.
"Oooooh," he laughs. "He told me you were looking for something called Chocolatella."
We both agreed that this was a better title anyway.