Everybody in Texas knows and loves the tres leches pioneered as a dessert by the Houston-based Cordua family, a quarter-century ago at their first Churrascos restaurant and later at Americas and Artista. Somewhere along the way, they started serving a lush and indulgent breakfast/brunch variation. It’s something well worth climbing out of bed for. And yes, sometimes it’s a very good thing to be writing a cookbook with Michael and David Cordua.
Milks:
3 cups condensed milk
3 cups evaporated milk
3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoon vanilla
Meringue:
1 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable spray
Extra butter
Dulce de leche
Powdered sugar
Combine the milks, cream and vanilla, whisking until smooth, 3-4 minutes. Prepare the meringue by heating the sugar and water to 240 degrees in a saucepan, then removing from. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a mixer on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes, then slowly add the syrup. Add vanilla and keep mixing on slow speed until the bowl cools to the touch, about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid to form a batter. Do not overmix. A few small lumps are fine. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with vegetable spray and 2-3 tablespoons of butter. Cook the pancakes, each with about 3 tablespoons of batter. Fit 2-3 at a time into a large skillet, but be careful they remain separate. Cook until the pancake starts to set and bubbles open on the surface, 1-2 minutes, then flip carefully and cook 1-2 minutes more. Transfer pancakes in 200-degree oven to keep warm.
When ready to serve, prepare the tres leches milk mixture and the Italian meringue as for the dessert tres leches. Quickly make 8 stacks of 3 pancakes each and use a knife to cut a large X in the top of each stack. Pour in the milk mixture until pancakes are soaked, then use a pastry bag to pipe in meringue. Drizzle with dulce de leche and dust with powdered sugar. Serves 8.
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