Crêpe cake and chocolate ganache

For about 20-22 crêpes of 16cm/6″ each. 1 crêpe cake

INGREDIENTS

For the crêpes

• 2 large eggs or 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons of ground golden flax mixed with 6 tablespoons of water)
• 200 g GoGo Quinoa Pancake Flour Blend
• 1 tablespoon sugar (can be coconut sugar, or organic cane sugar, or raw turbinado sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• ½-1 cup carbonated mineral water (such as S. Pellegrino or Perrier) (use ½ cup water for the egg crêpes; add more, up to 1 cup total for the vegan crêpes)

For the chocolate ganache

• 120 g chocolate couverture with 70% cacao (preferably Cacao Barry or Valrhona)
• 100 g lite coconut milk (from a can)
• To assemble the crêpe cake
• ½ cup good-quality cherry jam, or raspberry jam, or apricot jam, or more jam to taste
• cherries, or raspberries, or apricots to decorate (use for the garnish whatever fruit the jam is made from)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Crack the eggs in a medium bowl, and whisk until well blended. If making the vegan version, prepare the flax eggs by mixing 2 tablespoons of ground golden flax with 6 tablespoons of water; whisk thoroughly and let stand 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened and is gel-like.
2. Once the eggs or flax eggs are prepared, add to them the sugar, vanilla, salt, and almond milk. Whisk well until completely homogenous.
3. Measure the pancake mix flour in another medium bowl, then whisk to eliminate any clumps. Add the milk mixture to the flour little by little, whisking after each addition to avoid creating lumps in the batter. Continue whisking until all the milk mixture has been added, and the batter is completely smooth and lump-free.
4. Add the carbonated water. Start by adding ½ cup, and for the egg crêpes, you will not need to add more. For the vegan crêpes, continue adding the carbonated water to obtain a thin and pourable batter (for all my batches of vegan crêpes, I used the full 1 cup of carbonated water).
5. Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes. This step is essential, please do not skip. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate ganache.
6. For the chocolate ganache, chop the chocolate (if not already in callets) and place in a bowl. Heat the lite coconut milk in a small, heavy-based pot until steaming, but NOT boiling. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate, and let stand for 2 minutes.
7. Once the 2 minutes have passed, whisk the ganache with a small clean whisk. It will seem like the mixture is split, but continue mixing quickly until it comes together into a smooth and shiny ganache. It will look like a thick chocolate sauce. There should be no un-mixed or un-melted chocolate bits. Leave the ganache to gradually cool down at room temperature, stirring every once in a while to prevent a skin from forming on your ganache. Do not refrigerate, just set aside until ready to use.
8. To cook the crêpes, heat a 20cm/8” non-stick pan on medium heat. Use a silicone brush dipped in refined coconut oil to grease the pan, then pour in ¼ cup of batter (use the appropriate measuring cup). Tilt and shake the pan so that the batter covers the entire surface of the pan, in a full circle. Cook the pancake for about 3 minutes, or until the edges start to lift off the pan, and the underside of the pancake is light golden. Gently ease a thin spatula under your crêpe, to help peel it off the pan, then flip it and cook for another 3 minutes on the second side.
9. Remove each crêpe to a plate, and let cool while you cook the other crêpes. When all the batter has been used up, set the crêpes aside to cool completely.
10. When the crêpes are cool, the cake is ready to assemble. Lay the first crêpe on a plate and spread it thinly with ganache, leaving about 1.5cm border all around. Lay the next crêpe on top, and spread with a small amount of jam, also leaving a border. Continue layering until the last crêpe has been laid on top of the cake. Spread with the last bit of ganache, then garnish with berries or apricots.
11. Top tips for VEGAN crêpe success:

    *Use an excellent non-stick pan, and grease it generously with refined coconut oil, otherwise the crêpes may stick

    *Vegan crêpes are extremely delicate, so the smaller the pan you use to cook them, the easier they are to flip. I don’t recommend using a pan larger than 20cm/8” as the crêpes will tear when flipping

    *Use a wide but thin silicone spatula for flipping, for best results

    *Cook the crêpes a bit longer to ensure they are completely cooked through, otherwise they may stick together when you stack them to cool

    *If the surface of the crêpe browns too quickly but they are still raw where the batter is thicker, lower the heat to medium-low to finish cooking them.