We know them as pancakes in Argentina and other South American countries, but they go by different names in other regions of the world. Crepes in France and other European countries, pancakes in Galicia, Frixuelos in Asturias, Crespelle in Italy, Pannenkoeken in Holland and Belgium, pancakes in Germany and so on ad infinitum and beyond. The difference between one and the other is not too noticeable; some vary their flour content, others substitute other liquids for milk, some don’t contain eggs, some are sweeter and some less. However, the result is similar: a thin, round dough prepared in a pan or griddle and filled with various ingredients. Perhaps the difference really lies in the latter and in the moment of consumption of each of them.
While some versions, like pancakes, are prepared at a specific time of year; and others are part of street meals and snacks, such as pannenkoeken or crepes; Pancakes are prepared all year round, eaten as a dessert and in the vast majority of cases, and how could it be otherwise, filled with dulce de leche. They’re usually eaten warm and there are people who like to finish them off with sugar, which sounds like an instant glucose spike – and it is – but it also gives it an interesting crunchy touch.
It’s a classic dessert on the menus of Argentinian restaurants and bodegones, as well as a regular staple in native recipe books. We love pancakes so much that we have the Pancake Maker, a non-stick pan with very low sides that often comes with a ladle that contains just the right amount of batter to make perfect pancakes. One last oddity: it’s often said that the first pancake you bake goes bad and gets thrown away (and yes, in my experience, it does).
difficulty
Find the right thickness if you don’t have the pancake maker with his ladle.
Ingredients
For 10-12 pancakes in a 20 cm diameter pan
- 125 grams of wheat flour
- 300ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 15g melted butter + a little more to prevent sticking
- Dulce de leche for filling (amount to taste)
Preparation
Using a glass or hand mixer, beat the flour with the eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar and salt until fluffy. If you’re making it by hand, use a fork to beat together the flour, eggs, butter, sugar, salt, and half the milk. Add the rest of the milk once the mixture is smooth. It is important that the mixture is homogeneous and smooth. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a little butter and spread it over the entire surface. Add a ladle of the mixture and move the pan so that the batter covers the entire surface (for an 8-inch pan, count about 1 ounce of batter per pancake). Once the edges are cooked, flip them over using a spatula. If the pancake comes away easily when you shake the pan and has a toasted color, it’s done.
Repeat this process until the entire mixture is ready. Add butter from time to time if necessary.
Spread the pancakes with dulce de leche and roll up. Serve warm, alone, sprinkled with sugar, or with ice cream or whipped cream.
If you make this recipe, share the result on your social networks with the hashtag #RecipesComidista. And if it goes wrong, complain to the Defender of the Cook by sending an email to [email protected].