diff --git a/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/index.ts b/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/index.ts
index 878e2aa2c..2852c31bc 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/index.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import { type AuthRequest } from "@edgedb/auth-express";
 
 import { styles } from "./styles.js";
 import { auth, requireAuth, signoutRoute, builtinUIRouter } from "./auth.js";
-import { router as todosRouter } from "./todos.js";
 import { PORT } from "./env.js";
 
 const app = express();
@@ -14,7 +13,11 @@ app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
 app.use(cookieParser());
 app.use(auth.createSessionMiddleware());
 
-app.use("/api/todos", todosRouter);
+router.get("/api/deep-thought", requireAuth, async (req: AuthRequest, res) => {
+  // See more examples of making queries here: https://github.com/edgedb/edgedb-examples/blob/main/express-auth/todos.ts
+  const answer = await req.session!.client.query<number>("select 42;");
+  res.json(answer);
+});
 
 app.use("/auth", builtinUIRouter);
 app.use("/auth/signout", signoutRoute);
diff --git a/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/todos.ts b/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/todos.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 04b1d43a8..000000000
--- a/packages/create/src/recipes/express/template/src/todos.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-import express from "express";
-import { AuthRequest } from "@edgedb/auth-express";
-
-import { requireAuth } from "./auth.js";
-
-export const router = express.Router();
-
-router.get("/", requireAuth, async (req: AuthRequest, res) => {
-  const todos = await req.session!.client.query(`
-    select Todo { * }
-  `);
-  res.json(todos);
-});
-
-router.get("/:id", requireAuth, async (req: AuthRequest, res) => {
-  const { id } = req.params;
-  const todo = await req.session!.client.querySingle(
-    `
-    select Todo { * }
-    filter .id = <uuid>$id
-  `,
-    { id }
-  );
-  res.json(todo);
-});
-
-router.post("/", requireAuth, async (req: AuthRequest, res) => {
-  const { content } = req.body;
-  const todo = await req.session!.client.querySingle(
-    `
-    insert Todo {
-      content := <str>$content
-    }
-  `,
-    { content }
-  );
-  res.json(todo);
-});
-
-router.put("/:id", requireAuth, async (req: AuthRequest, res) => {
-  const { id } = req.params;
-  const { content, completed } = req.body;
-  const todo = await req.session!.client.querySingle(
-    `
-    update Todo
-    filter .id = <uuid>$id
-    set {
-      content := <str>$content,
-      completed := <bool>$completed
-    }
-  `,
-    {
-      id,
-      content,
-      completed,
-    }
-  );
-  res.json(todo);
-});
-
-router.delete("/:id", requireAuth, async (req: AuthRequest, res) => {
-  const { id } = req.params;
-  await req.session!.client.querySingle(
-    `
-    delete Todo
-    filter .id = $id
-  `,
-    { id }
-  );
-  res.sendStatus(204);
-});