A few months ago, I was at the food writer Maria Zizka's house for one of those parties where food is sort of everywhere—delicious charcuterie in one corner, out-of-this-world homemade cheese twists in another—and that people just wander in and out of all night. And while everything was spectacular, Zizka really outdid herself with the dessert, pulling a stunning tray of buckwheat crepes out of midair and totally wowing her guests.
Of course, the crepes weren't actually pulled from the air at all. Turns out they'd been hiding on a shelf; Zizka had made them earlier that afternoon. Having learned to love crepes in Europe, where they are eaten hot off the street food cart, I was intrigued: you can make crepes ahead of time? And they can still be delicious? (And you can store them on a shelf?)
"I wanted to just have a beer and hang out with friends at the party, so I wanted to make a dessert ahead of time," Zizka explained to me later. "I’ve always loved crepes, especially with buckwheat flour, and my kitchen was overflowing with jam because I had been testing a bunch of jam recipes from the Sqirl cookbook."
Zizka—who worked not only on Everything I Want to Eat but also the forthcoming Tartine All Day—proceeded to tell me how she nailed the making-crepes-ahead-of-time game.
Make the Batter The Night Before
Zizka has always approached crepes as do-ahead, because the batter always cooks more evenly when it has rested overnight. Pressed for time? Let the batter sit at least one hour at room temperature for that lighter-than-air texture.
Add a Nutty Flavor
Zizka's go-to recipe is a variation on an Alice Waters classic, one she likes to make with buckwheat flour, thanks to its nutty, savory flavor. Buckwheat crepes are typically reserved for savory fillings, but Zizka finds them "more interesting" for dessert. "I don’t like crepes very sweet. I'd rather use a really sweet jam or honey" to turn the crepes into dessert.
Add Beer For Better Batter
Zizka intensifies the flavor of the crepes with a dark beer, such as a porter or stout. "I love to put dark beer into the batter because it does this malty sweet thing," she says. "The bubbles also keep the crepe really light when it cooks." To try it out, swap half the required liquid for a rich, dark beer in your go-to crepe recipe.
Wax It and Wrap It
Another tip I found while researching make-ahead crepes: layer the crepes between wax paper or parchment to avoid sticking, then store them in a single layer in a reusable plastic bag. An added bonus: the prepared crepes can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to two months, meaning you can literally have crepes for days.
Once she's made her crepes, Zizka goes one step further in her entertaining do-ahead domination: she spreads the crepes with jam, folds them into quarters, then layers the wedges onto a platter and tops with powdered sugar. It's a simple, sweet, do-ahead dessert, perfect for entertaining for a group, or celebrating for two. All you have to do is find a place on your bookshelf to hide them.
