Strawberry Silk Stack Recipe

Make the batter

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk and water. Gradually add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth and lump-free. Whisk in the melted butter. The batter should be thin and pourable. Let rest 20–30 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate up to 2 hours).

Cook the crepes

Heat a nonstick 8–10 inch skillet or crepe pan over medium heat and brush lightly with oil or melted butter. Stir batter gently, then pour about 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan, immediately tilting and swirling to form a thin, even layer. Cook 45–60 seconds until edges lift and underside is lightly golden. Flip with a thin spatula and cook 10–20 seconds more. Transfer to a plate and stack. Repeat until you have 12–14 crepes (yields ~12 thin crepes). Keep covered with a clean towel to stay pliable.

Prepare the yuzu crema

In a chilled bowl, combine mascarpone, powdered sugar, yuzu juice, yuzu zest and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. In a separate small bowl whip the heavy cream with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until fully incorporated and silky. Taste and adjust sweetness or yuzu acidity as desired. Chill while you prepare the coulis.

Cook the coulis

Place the quartered strawberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries break down and release juices, about 6–8 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add 1 tablespoon water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Blend and strain

Carefully transfer the cooked strawberries to a blender or use an immersion blender and purée until smooth. For a silky coulis, pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Chill until assembly. Reserve 2–3 tablespoons of whole or slightly chunky purée for spreading between some layers if you want varied texture.

Assemble the stack

Place one crepe on a serving plate. Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of yuzu crème evenly over the crepe leaving a 1/2 inch border. Arrange a few thin strawberry slices over the crème and, if using, drizzle about 1 teaspoon of chilled strawberry coulis. Top with a second crepe and repeat the layering process. Continue stacking until you have used 10–12 crepes, finishing with a crepe topped with a thin layer of yuzu crème.

Finish and chill

Brush or spoon a little coulis over the top layer in a decorative pattern and arrange additional sliced strawberries. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar if desired. Refrigerate the assembled stack for at least 30 minutes to set, up to 2 hours. Chilling helps the layers settle and makes slicing cleaner.

Serve

To serve, run a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts to get neat slices. Garnish each slice with a small mint leaf and an extra drizzle of chilled coulis on the plate. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature.