Argentinian Panqueques with Dulce de Leche

About This Recipe

Panqueques are Argentina's version of the French crepe, thin and delicate, made from a simple batter of flour, eggs and milk cooked quickly in a hot, lightly buttered pan. Unlike thicker American-style pancakes, panqueques are meant to be paper-thin and pliable enough to roll or fold easily around a filling, most commonly dulce de leche, the caramelized milk spread found in nearly every Argentinian kitchen. Getting panqueques thin enough takes a slightly loose batter and a quick swirl of the pan the moment the batter hits the heat -- too much batter or too slow a swirl and they turn out thick and pancake-like rather than delicate. Argentinian cooks typically use a well-seasoned or nonstick crepe pan and cook each side for under a minute, since a thin batter cooks through almost as fast as it sets. Rolled or folded around a generous spread of dulce de leche while still warm, panqueques are eaten for breakfast, an afternoon merienda, or dessert, sometimes finished with a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream alongside.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 cupall-purpose flour
• 2eggs
• 1.25 cupsmilk
• 2 tbspmelted butter(plus more for the pan)
• 1 tbspgranulated sugar
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 1 cupdulce de leche
• 1 tbsppowdered sugar(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk flour, eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar and salt together until completely smooth. Let rest 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Heat the pan

   Heat a small nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with butter.

3. 3

   Cook the panqueques

   Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into the center, immediately tilting and swirling the pan to spread it into a thin, even circle.

   Work quickly once the batter hits the pan -- a thin, even swirl is what keeps panqueques delicate instead of turning into thicker pancakes.

4. 4

   Flip and finish

   Cook 45 seconds to 1 minute until the edges lift and the surface looks set, then flip and cook 20 to 30 seconds on the other side. Stack cooked panqueques on a plate.

5. 5

   Fill and serve

   Spread each panqueque generously with dulce de leche, fold into quarters or roll into a cylinder, and dust with powdered sugar before serving warm.

Variations

• •

  Chocolate panqueques: add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the batter for a chocolate version, filled with dulce de leche or Nutella.

• •

  Savory version: skip the sugar and fill with ham and cheese, folding and briefly pan-frying to melt the cheese.

• •

  Fruit-topped: serve alongside sliced bananas or strawberries in addition to the dulce de leche.

Storage

Stack cooked panqueques between sheets of parchment and refrigerate up to 2 days; reheat briefly in a dry skillet before filling. Unfilled panqueques also freeze well for up to a month.

Frequently Asked Questions