Today’s installment in the “All Around Latin America” series comes from a mother/daughter blog that I love! Las Morena’s (both have the same first name) pen the “Peru Delights” where they share and inspire to become familiar with Peruvian cuisine. I’ve learned so much about their particular culture and food from reading their stories. Mother lives in the DC area, daughter lives in NY, so it’s incredibly fun to see the two work together to create lovely food. This is their first time participating in this delicious series so I’d love for you to welcome them to Flanboyant Eats!  And, welcome, Peru Delights readers! B-

By Morena Cuadra

What do you think we, as a Hispanic community, have in common? Is it the genetic information that runs through our blood and makes us what we are, or is it something else? Is it the language, maybe? In Peru we say that  our country is a melting pot of races and traditions, and this description fits perfectly to all of us, Latin American people. The differences and variety between all of us are enormous, but the amount of interceptions is even bigger, thank God!

One of our most rooted traditions is food, of course! Very few people can beat us in our passion for eating good food…and for eating A LOT of it. So to celebrate this Hispanic Heritage Month, I thought it would be a great idea to share one of those immortal preparations that transcend frontiers in our culture, and through time, have become a staple in the kitchens of many different countries. And because dessert is always the first thing on my mind, the image that immediately popped into my head was the uber famous Tres Leches that we so love. We’re sure you know that this exquisite cake is baked in almost every Latin American country, and we all feel it’s our own. But at the end of the day, who cares where it’s really from? The fact is that it’s delicious and easy to make, so let’s all just share it and celebrate our similarities!

My grandmother used to bake it for us when we were very young, and every afternoon at three o´clock, we sat to have coffee with her, with a slice –or several slices- of Tres Leches, and many other goodies on the side. Many years later, as a newly wed, the same scene repeated itself – this time not in Central America, but in Madrid- where we had tea with my husband’s Spanish aunt, tía Gela, at five o´clock, accompanied by as many pastries and cookies as was possible to imagine. The Tres Leches wasn’t there, but still this was proof enough that all Hispanics share the unbelievable sweet tooth!

Today I want to give you my grandmother´s recipe for Tres Leches, a delicious and extremely moist cake that I have continued baking for my kids, and now they make it for their friends as often as possible too. I added mango purée to give it a tropical twist, even though this delicious fruit is native to India. You can serve every portion on its own, dusted with powdered sugar, or crowned with some dulce de leche whipped cream and a couple caramel curls. To finish, thinly cut some mango slices, y listo!

(images courtesy of Peru Delights)

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