Last week when I started seriously thinking about what I wanted to do for Easter dinner, I got hit with a bit of inspiration while sitting in my cozy nook next to the woodstove.
We are in the season of our lives as a family where things are just bananas busy. The hubs runs an entire youth small bore shooting program at our local gun range every Friday night, he is also a 4H shooting sports leader. My son is on a competitive shotgun skeet and trap team and in varsity track. My daughter competes in FFA, 4-H, and has a show steer that she shows.
And you all know that I don't sit around much either, especially with it being spring on the farm.
So, it was as I sat in the nook, sipping mango passionfruit tea, that I found my mind wondering what to craft for Easter dinner.
I wanted to do something fun. Yet, I didn't want to be bogged down all day in the kitchen crafting a traditional Easter or Passover meal. Because I am still a bit tired from being so sick this winter.
Anyway, inspiration struck me as I remembered I hadn't fed my sourdough starter yet that morning, CREPES!
I love crepes! My mom used to make the most buttery, luscious peach-filled crepes topped with homemade amaretto whipped cream. I still have dreams about those things.
Anyway, I started wondering what a sourdough crepe would taste like, and started scribbling in my notebook. The Easter Crepe Bar idea was hatched!
Sunday at around noon found me whisking some dry ingredients in a bowl and adding the wet ingredients to the fray. Crepe batter has to have a runniness to it, it's important for the batter to run around the pan like scrambled eggs so that you get a uniform, level floppy crepe.
And I almost felt like I know what I am talking about when I wrote that above paragraph.
Because here's the thing, I am no crepe expert. I do love eating them, and one time I made a batch of chicken and mushroom stuffed savory crepes that have survived in family lore, but the thing is, all I really care about is that food tastes good (and is sustainable and good for you most of the time). You are not going to find gatekeeping or cuisine hubris in these parts for sure.
Anyway, as I threw a slab of butter into my little nonstick skillet (and realized I should probably acquire a proper crepe pan at some point), my mug broke into the biggest anticipatory smile. Soon I would be noshing on a buttery, chewy crepe of crepetasticness!
And what was even greater was just over my shoulder my daughter was getting out all the toppings for the crepe bar and my son was slicing fresh strawberries. It was a scene of family domestic chore bliss!
Even though I must admit I felt a fly of annoyance when my son asked me forty-two times how I wanted the strawberries sliced. Like seriously cockroach? Slice the dang things however you want....he had the gall to ask me if I wanted the sliced vertically or horizontally lol! Good times!
As the crepes stacked up on the plate I had warming in the oven, I could feel the excitement to devour them build in the kitchen. Since I had a respectable stack cooked, I told everyone to start crafting their crepes, and they didn't disappoint:
My son stuffed peanut butter on the inside of his crepe before rolling it up and loading it with all the toppings. We had hot fudge, chocolate syrup, caramel, powdered sugar, whipped cream, fake maple syrup, organic real maple syrup, sliced strawberries, it was an impressive amount of crepe accourtrements.
Things got even more fun when the hubs started attacking the children with the canned whip cream. I rarely buy the stuff, and I am sure you can understand why....
After I cooked the last crepe, it was time for me to put together mine. Most of the time I am a bit of a topping minimalist. When it comes to crepes, my absolute favorite way to eat them is slathered with butter, drizzled with real maple syrup, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and because it was a special occasion, I added three little rosettes of whipped cream.
Then, it was the moment of truth, taste test time. I did notice there was a lot of satisfied grunting coming from the kitchen table, and as soon as I took my first bite I understood why.
Sourdough crepes are freaking amazing!
There is a slight tang at the end of each bite, and not an overpowering one either! As we were doing sweet crepes, the recipe has a bit of sugar in it, so you got all the things, buttery, little bits of crispness, tang from the sourdough, and a hint of sweet from the sugar. The silky flavors of the maple syrup and whipped cream joined in the taste bud dance and I am not ashamed to say I ate TWO crepes, because holy yum!
And even though most of my house (and pets) got accessorized with more whipped cream than I would have liked, I have to say that the Sourdough Crepe Bar Easter Dinner Experiment was a resounding success!
Sourdough Crepes
1 cup sourdough starter discard
6 TBSP melted butter
3 duck eggs (or 4 large chicken eggs)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 TBSP water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
butter for skilletIn a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Then add sourdough starter discard, melted butter, eggs, milk, water, and vanilla. Whisk everything together until batter is well-combined. It is supposed to be pretty runny.
Heat a 8-10 inch skillet on medium high. Toss in a slice of butter, like a couple of teaspoons. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add 1/4 cup of crepe batter to the hot skillet. I use a ladle for this job. Swirl the batter around the pan and let it cook for 60-90 seconds before flipping and cooking 30-60 seconds more.
Place crepes on a plate in a warm oven so they stay warm while you cook the other.
Serve with your favorite toppings!
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's whipped cream encrusted iPhone.